Dead Silence
by RavenousMuse
Summary: S/O S/E Amelia & Claudine decide Sookie needs a vacation. Wait until Eric finds out what Sookie has been up to...Miami, Sexy Strangers, Jealous Viking, need I say mas? READ: Pre D&G! Spoilers para todos. On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was wiping the sweat off of my forehead with a gloved finger, polishing the table stands for the third time that day when I heard it. A mumbled 'hmph' came from behind my head. Surprised out of my intense focus, I smacked my head against the underside of the table. "Holy Mother!" I screeched as I scrambled out from under the table to ready myself for a fight. "Sam, don't do that! You know I don't like to be snuck up on."

It was past closing time and Sam was staring out from under his pretty strawberry blonde hair which, I just noticed as my heart slowed down, was growing out into longish waves. Hmmm… suits him, I thought, and then wondered why I hadn't noticed before just how long it was getting. He even looked stronger too, the muscles in his chest stretching the Merlotte's t-shirt he was wearing. Wow, I thought to myself as my heart started lilting back up in pace… I wouldn't mind- "Damn it!" I yelled for a whole other reason than having been startled. I tried to duck back under the table, but Sam's arm was faster than I was (Ugh! Supes!), and caught me before I could escape.

"Sook, you have got to cut this out!" Sam growled. "I have been standing here for the last five minutes. I think the table is clean. In fact, I think this bar is cleaner than it has been since it was built!" Which brings me back to the reason I was under the table in the first place; with Quinn out of my life for good, and Bill on some weird stalker-type win Sookie back kick, and Eric- well, who the hell knows what Eric is doing, I was going nuts.

In the past month and a half, I had been spending all of my free time (which was plentiful) becoming part of the scenery here at Merlotte's. I was picking up shifts left and right; even Arlene got to take that road trip to Texas with her new(est) Fellowship of the Sun boy-toy Jonas because of my benevolence. I worked days, nights, I played bartender, busgirl, and I even picked up some of Terry's morning cleaning shifts just so I wouldn't have to think about the mess my life had turned into. The bar was sparkling clean due to my sexual frustration and raw nerves.

Every day, I knew it would come; a call from the new King, Felipe de Castro that would rip my life apart and possibly some of my internal organs, too. A call that would what? Who knows? Bind me to some new, even more irresistible vampire, or zombie, or poltergeist (Do they exist? Why not? Everything else does!), irrevocably shortening my life. Because I have learned that when they call, you don't really have a choice whether or not to go. So every day I wait, and every single day, nothing. Pair that with not getting any loving for a loooong time, and I hope you can see why I am wound up.

"Sam, are you really complaining because your bar is clean? You know what they say about gift horses, right?"

"It's not that, Sookie. It's just that I miss you Sookie. I miss the Sookie who was out living life every day, not the Sookie who has made Merlotte's her life. What is _wrong_? Let's you and me have a night on the town, I'll take you to Shreveport and we can play paintball and hit Crawdaddy's Kitchen for some good Cajun afterward. You know, like a date… or as friends… whatever you want…"

Paintball? Huh? Do I look like a paintball girl? I mean, I can shoot, but the idea of being shot at again for any reason, well that is not my cup of tea. I must have given Sam a strange look, because his face clouded back up. "Damnit Sookie, just do _something_ with yourself! You are driving all of us crazy!" Sam spun on his heel and stormed off towards the back door. "And lock up when you leave! Which better be soon, because I can't afford to keep paying you for 60 hour work-weeks!"

I sat there flabbergasted at what had just occurred for a few minutes, but then silently kicked myself out of my mental stupor. I guess I had been in my own world for the last few, well okay, for the last month or so. I was just so tired of the stress. Tired of the supernatural world as a whole. I mean, sure it embraced me when the rest of the universe seemed hell-bent on tearing me down, but it tore me down too, and it kicked me while I was down. Screw vamps, screw Weres, and screw shifters. But mostly, screw vamps. I pulled myself together, adjusted my ponytail, clocked out, and set off for home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning I puttered around, searching for some way to fill my empty day. I had called Sam at the crack of dawn to apologize, but mostly to see if anyone needed me to cover their shift for them. "I can cook Sam, you know. I am pretty handy with a deep-fryer! How is the new line cook Martin doing?? He looked tired to me last night. Maybe he needs a day off?"

"Sookie," Sam yawned, "It is 6 AM on a Saturday. I am not paying you another dime this week. You are already way over in overtime." And then he sighed, "Try to have a good day. Relax and enjoy yourself. When the sun comes up, I bet it will be a beautiful day. I bet if you breathe deep, you can even smell the ocean." Huh? What kind of crap is that? "Now if you will excuse me, I am gonna go back to sleep."

"Fine, Sam. Super. Bye," I said, heavy on the sarcasm, as I hung up.

My house was spotless. Having Amelia as a roommate certainly had its perks, but it left me with little to do on a day when I would rather bury myself in some mundane task than participate in the outside world. I trudged back to my room to see if maybe I could get some more sleep too. I put my head on the pillow but sleep would not come easily. I tossed and turned until panic seized my core.

My left hand pressed into my side as I felt the stake jammed into what I knew had to be a very important organ. I gripped the stake with my left hand while the other tried to curtail the blood flow from the wound. If I remembered correctly, this would be the part that hurt the worst. Oh, yes. I yanked with all I was worth, and the stake dislodged itself from my core. I screamed as the stake blistered and splintered into my soft tissue. The bleeding was immense. If fact, what was this, I wondered through my panic? The hole in my side seemed to be widening, stretching as I lay on my side wondering who to call and what to do next.

Blood, more blood than I thought possible was coursing from my side, and then I realized something was moving from inside of me. Oh my God. Hair, blood encrusted blonde hair spilled out of my body. Hair attached to a baby? What? I yowled as its tiny hands tore my flesh away from my muscle and it pulled itself out. It peered out at me with surprisingly clear eyes, purple eyes, and fully extended fangs. It cried "Mama!" and then dove at my thighs, ripping out chunks of flesh, blood dripping out of its mouth like a fountain.

"Sookie!!! Sookie!!! Oh my lord, wake up!!!!"

I was still screaming as I fought to open my eyelids, which felt glued together. Amelia was shaking me violently and still in her pajamas when I fully came back to reality. "What the _Hell_ was that" I stuttered tears streaming down my eyes and sweat clamming up every part of my body.

"Girl, you're asking me? I am asking you- What the _Hell_ was that?" I looked into Amelia's bright eyes and then checked my side. No holes, no new vampiric babies. I held one finger up and shut my eyes to try to calm myself. Oh, wow. Oh, no. "Amelia, what time is it?"

Amelia glanced at the wall, "Uh, clock says 6:27. Why?"

"Crap!" I closed my eyes again; could I really be feeling what I think I am feeling? I opened my bond fully to Eric, and I knew that he had felt my distress and was fighting the dawn, trying to stay awake to see if I was okay. "It is ok, it is ok, it is ok…" I murmured over and over again to myself trying to propel feelings of calm and tranquility to Eric through the bond. He was really worked up. Crap, crap, crap, I thought. Tranquility, tranquility, tranquility, I sent. Finally, I felt a lull and I guessed that he must have got the message because I couldn't feel his turmoil anymore.

When I opened my eyes Amelia was giving me a 'What the hell?' glare. "I'm sorry, bad dream. Thanks for waking me up. What is on tap for the day?" I said, thoroughly not wanting to relive that dream.

"You have got to be kidding Sookie Stackhouse. I wake up to hear you screaming like a bloody banshee-" hmmm, note to self: Do those exist? I should ask Sam or I wonder if Amelia would know? "I race from the comfort of my bed at this godforsaken hour to see whether or not you were being murdered or decapitated, and all I get is a half-assed 'Golly, gee thanks for waking me up?' Again. What the Hell just happened? And what was that at the end?"

I puffed out the breath of air I didn't even realize I was holding during that tirade and sighed. "Okay. I have never had a dream that real, or that horrible before." I felt a shiver make its way down my spine. "Can I just say: stakes, non-vaginal birth, and vampire babies, and leave it at that?"

Amelia made a sickened face and then gave me a knowing look. I took that as an affirmation. "Ok what about the last part?"

"That? Oh, um, I guess Eric felt my dream, and was freaking out. The thing is, I have never felt him so clearly from so far away. It was like, amplified, or something."

"Well I guess now we know vampires have feelings too," Amelia deadpanned. I grinned. Amelia looked happy to see me out of my funk. She too, had borne the brunt of my dissatisfaction and worry in the last few weeks. "Okey-dokey, I am gonna go make us some breakfast, since I have a feeling there is no way I will be able to go back to sleep after these shenanigans," Amelia stated, "French toast sound good?" I felt my mouth water and nodded, heading off to the restroom to get more civilized before breakfast.

I was still feeling bad about being so out of it with Amelia (and the rest of civilization) when I returned to the kitchen from showering. I was about to apologize after I had poured myself a cup of coffee when I turned around to see a sparkle in Amelia's eye. "Okay, what's going on," I asked.

"So, do you remember when you asked me earlier what the plan was for the day?"

"Um-hm," I said guardedly.

"Well, I hope you are not mad at me, but I took the liberty of planning your day. Well, make that your next days, okay, week."

"Amelia, what are you talking about?" I questioned suspiciously, Amelia's smile was getting bigger while her eyes got more and more nervous. "You know I have work. Well, not today, unless I can figure out a way to get Martin to take the day off, and Sa-"

And at precisely that moment, there was a rap on the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I didn't hear a car pulling up the drive… Amelia Broadway, what have you done??" Okay, I know I am a lot better at putting my shields up now so there is really no excuse for why I did this, but I slowly opened myself up to listen to her thoughts. _Oh lord, I hope she isn't mad.... Really, this is gonna be a good thing for her- well for all of us… And I just can't handle another week of her grumpiness… How awkward will this be though, just the three of us… Sam had the right idea….Shit, is she listening in?_

"What does Sam have to do with this-" I started, but Amelia was quick to interject, "Sook, you really should get the door; it's rude to make people wait." I gave Amelia a hard look to tell that this wasn't over, and trudged to the door running through the possibilities. Well, I knew it couldn't be a vampire, daylight, right? I hoped it wasn't my brother, not really in the mood for a family reunion since that lying, sneak made me break Calvin's hand. Was it Sam? She was thinking about him and a threesome…Oh, dear. "Amelia you know I am not into lady action, right?" Amelia just looked confused when I said that and then smirked wickedly. "Just get the door."

I pulled open the door, and standing like a beam of sunshine was my very own fairy godmother Claudine. She was wearing a forest green tummy-exposing tube-top and some seriously shiny black leggings that made me suddenly feel like doing some lunges. She was also yanking some heavy suitcases into the house. "Who is ready for some fun in the sun?!" Claudine exalted. "I am so excited! I've never gone on a girls only vacation before!" Claudine looked at the dumbfounded look in my eyes and turned to Amelia, "You haven't told her yet."

Amelia gave her a stormy look and replied, "No, I was hoping to draw out the surprise a little longer." She growled something under her breath about _damn fairies ruin everything. _

"You guys, I can't go on vacation! Are you nuts? I have work this week- Amelia did you say we are going somewhere for a _whole week_? And Claudine, where is your car? Surely you can't just pop in with those giant suitcases?" Claudine just looked at me and smiled, and although I was certainly _not_ going on any trip, I sure was in a better mood. Gotta love that Claudine. "Do you ladies mind if I eat breakfast now? I bet it is getting cold. Don't want it to go to waste. Claudine, have you ever tried French toast? Amelia's is great." I remembered that fairies liked to sample our strange cuisine.

"No I haven't, but I would love to smell your French toast up close and personal. And I hate to break it to you Sookie, but you are coming on vacation with us! I have heard about the so-called 'funk' that you have been in, and when Amelia asked me to join you two I could not say no. Is that how you say it, 'funk?'"

Amelia ignored the latter part of Claudine's soliloquy and continued, "Yeah, you are coming. It was actually Sam's idea. He was telling me how you are always at work moping around, freaking out every time the phone rings. He says you are scaring off his customers, and that you desperately need to get away. And, seeing as you are driving me up the wall here too, I seconded the idea. So you officially have the week off, and you are coming with us."

"But I don't have any money for a vacation," I argued.

Claudine and Amelia shared a conspiratorial (word of the day: March 2, thank you very much!) smile which I definitely noticed, and Amelia said, "Don't worry. It is all expenses paid, care of Daddy's credit card and my airline points."

I felt my defenses crumbling, and it wasn't nearly as bad as if one of _my_ vampires had tried to pay for me. I was still uncomfortable, but I couldn't help but smile a little as I asked, "So, where are we going?"

Both girls started hollering then for a much easier won battle than they had originally planned for, which of course Broadway was clearly broadcasting. "We're going to Miami! We're going down to South Beach! We're going to Miami! We're going down to South Beach!" the girls started chanting, and towards the end, I couldn't help but get into it as well.

However, if I had known how things would turn out, I wonder if I would have been chanting quite so loud.


	4. Chapter 4

_I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me. I really just enjoy her characters!_

_Thank you for the positive feedback! This is my first Fanfiction, so I really appreciate that you took the time to review my work. Hoping you enjoy Chapter 4!_

Chapter 4

So, throwing caution to the wind, a telepath, a witch, and a fairy all ended up on the 2:15 flight out of Shreveport. You should have seen some of the looks we got as we made our way down to South Beach! The Hertz rental car guys took one look at Claudine and decided we needed an upgraded model and a free weekend rental. The guy's mouth said it was, "For being such loyal customers," but his mind said, _OhmyGod, these chicks are so hot, maybe if I give them free stuff they will all want to do me simultaneously on this counter… Right here, right now, fire me if you like, I don't care!!!… Pleasepleaseplease, tell me you really like free stuff…_ I had to stifle the audible giggle that escaped from my lips with a fake sneeze as Amelia and Claudine peeked over at me and Hertz guy turned an interesting shade of pink. I bet Eric would like Hertz guy's blush. I bet it would make him hungry… Damn it, I will not think about Eric on this trip! No vamps!

Before we knew it, with Amelia at the wheel, we arrived in South Beach in our beautiful, red Mustang convertible. I was sort of happy for it too, because Amelia and Claudine were constantly haggling over what kind of music to listen to. Amelia opting for what I can only really describe as adult contemporary music (she especially got excited about one Josh Groban song in particular), while Claudine kept flicking back to the oldies station. Who knew?

When we pulled up to the hotel where we were going to be spending the week, I was speechless.

"You aren't used to coming to hotels during the day huh, Sookie?" Claudine asked.

"Ha ha. Seriously though, wow. This place is amazing! Is this _the_ Ritz Carlton?_ The_ Ritz Carlton- like in the movies?"

"Yeah, girl. You know we do it big! You have to in Miami; it's pretty much a requirement. You'll see," Amelia answered with a grin. As we jumped out I reveled in the fact that it was daylight, and for once I didn't have to worry about directing coffins into their hotel rooms or keeping the blinds closed. Hey, I thought, I won't have to eat breakfast alone on this trip!

"Is this place Vampire-safe?" I asked, hoping one of them caught my drift.

"No," Amelia answered, "It was never converted, probably because a lot of the boutique hotels down the road had a much cheaper renovation, and not a lot of vamps come here on vacation."

"Woo-hoo!" I cheered, "Girls, this is gonna be the best trip ever! Now if we can just not get bombed or attacked in any way, I might just move here."

"Alright, Miss Independent, let's just get checked in, and then we can enjoy our freedom on the beach," Amelia instructed.

We walked through the doors arm in arm, drawing stares and glares from everyone in the room, into what I thought was one of the most beautiful lobbies I'd ever seen. I was so taken aback by the room that I didn't even realize my jaw was practically on the floor until Claudine looked at me, winked, and said, "Its art deco." Art-who-co? Was that on my word of the day calendar? My shields were lowering of their own volition as I struggled to take in the scenery and I couldn't help but overhear some of the thoughts around us:

_Whoa, somebody tell me when these goddesses hit the beach! I will get me some binoculars and …._

_High-priced hookers, at your 3 o'clock…_

_Looks like someone I seen on TV before…or something…_

_Yum, what I wouldn't give for thirty minutes alone with them, some Skittles, and a miniature pony…_

Okay, I thought. Miami has some weirdos. I snapped my shields back into place.

"Girls, we got the Lanai Oceanfront room, just like I had hoped," Amelia had come back from checking us in. "Let's go check it out!"

When we arrived up at the room the first thing I noticed was that our bags had been dropped off already. The second thing was, holy mother! This was an awesome room- if you could even call it that. It seemed like it was bigger than my house- well it definitely had better furniture. There was a fully stocked mini-bar, a beautiful dinner table, two bathrooms (!) and a separate seating area that was set up with a second bed already all made up.

I managed to stammer out, "Amelia, are you sure your dad is going to be okay with us using his money for this? I-"

"Oh, stop worrying!" Claudine interjected. "Where is the bathroom? I am ready to change! I am doing everything the _human_ way this week." Claudine flitted out of the room.

I raised my eyebrows in amusement and looked over to see Amelia stretched across the extra bed doing leg lifts. "I hope you won't mind sharing the other bed with Claudine. I am afraid I will end up having a fairy beat-down if we room together." I shrugged. Whatever, I have had even stranger bedfellows. Hmmm, I've slept in a bed with some vampires, I've slept with a were-tiger, I've slept with Jason (not _that_ way), and I've slept with a dog that turned into a man in the middle of the night. Nope, a fairy would be no problem.

"Just so you know," Claudine called from the bathroom, "I snore! But do not worry, I have been told that I sound just like the harpist Abhean, and my snores will lull you to an even more peaceful sleep than you ever imagined!"

"Ah, yes _Abhean_, of course. I shall sleep like a baby," I shot off the cuff. I stepped over to the balcony. "Wow, what an amazing view!" Directly below me was the Atlantic Ocean, frothy waves cresting in the distance. Beach bodies were strewn across the sand, paying homage to the Sun God either bronzing or burning their skin.

"Ok, enough lazing about," Claudine commanded, "Get your suits on, and let's go play!" I turned around and Claudine was standing there, more beautiful than any Greek goddess in a silver, rhinestone encrusted bikini that showed every millimeter of skin that could possibly be exposed without quite reaching a triple-X pornographic level. She topped it off with a white floppy hat covering her dark hair and pointed ears, and four inch high Lucite platform stilettos.

"Oh, Miami is going to looove you! Did you borrow those shoes from one of your strippers?" Amelia quipped. Claudine just stuck her tongue out at Amelia and made a hurry-up motion with her hands.

"Let's do it!" I said.

Twenty minutes later we were setting ourselves up on three of the Ritz's private lounge chairs, me in an aqua blue string bikini, bought at Tara's togs of course, that set off my mid-summer tan (and bountiful bosoms) perfectly, and Amelia in a conservative yet sexy nude one-piece with the sides cut out. The sand felt amazing between my toes, painted a pale pink, and still in rather good shape if you ask me. The sun, though close to setting was still hot at my back. It would be probably another hour and a half before Eric rose. I caught myself giggling at the thought of what he would think when he realized I wasn't there to respond to his beck and call. Pam would give him hell when she found out! Oh well, I thought, and shouted at the other girls, "Beat you to the water!"

Amelia and Claudine shrieked and raced to catch up with me, and soon we were splashing around in the warm water dodging gawking onlookers, football tossing coeds, and boogie boarding children. We dived under waves, and I was surprised at how long Claudine could stay below the water. I had to poke her a few times under the water to remind her to look human, because the occasional passerby would start to look alarmed. Amelia tried to dunk me but she was not successful, and I dodged her and managed to splash both her and Claudine, shouting "Drink salt-water witch!" as I evaded the dunking.

The next thing I knew, both Claudine and Amelia had pounced on me, with a double onslaught of ocean water in the face, catching each other in the process. I accidentally snorted a little of the water into my nose and started coughing, trying to clear my lungs. "I'll be right back!" I yelled and headed back toward my towel.

"Don't worry about it! I've got the fairy right where I want her!" Amelia yelled from a crouched position, clearly about to strike at Claudine. Multiple splashes and some high-pitched screeches were the last things I heard as I left.

I trudged heavily against the tide, coughing, on to the sand. My towel was looking better and better as I neared it, ready to get the salt off of my face and out of my eyes. The next thing I heard was a bellowed, "Look out!" I turned just in time to see the football as it slammed into my forehead and I was knocked onto the sand.

_Oh, no! Have I killed her? I really can't believe I missed that throw… I never miss… Open your eyes!!!... Hmm, she has a killer body. Wow…. I hope she isn't dead… She is really too pretty to die… _

I could hear him way before I saw him. I fluttered my eyes beneath their lids, testing to make sure that indeed, I was not dead. Nope, not dead. I had the presence of mind to check the mental signature of whoever it was that was straddling me and he was human, definitely human. One hundred percent human. Wait, was he _straddling_ me? I struggled to open my eyes so that I could tell this scumbag where to go, and as soon as he came into focus all righteous indignation flew out of my body. Wowzers.

Brown eyes, the color of chocolate-covered cherries were looking worriedly down at me. His face was just inches from mine, and his hands were shaking my shoulders. "Umm, I think you can probably stop doing that shaking thing if you want," I muttered, sort-of okay with him shaking me as long as he still was straddling me. Hey, I already told you it has been a long time since I last got any, okay? Give a girl a break.

"Oh thank God," beautiful eyes cried. "She's okay!" He yelled back to his friends, who were waiting to resume their game of touch football. "You guys start without me- I'll catch up in a minute!"

He looked down at himself, realizing he was still on top of me and then chided himself, scooting off of my thighs. By that time Amelia and Claudine had noticed what was going on and were worriedly approaching us from the water. I looked over at them and croaked, "Don't worry girls, I'm fine." And they headed back into deeper waters, Amelia giving me a thumbs-up before she turned away.

I pulled myself up onto my elbows and His Sexiness put a hand on my shoulder, stabilizing me as I sat up. "Hi," I said stupidly.

"Hi," he replied, giving my forehead a dismayed shake of his head. "I am so sorry. It was almost like those jerks meant to hit you; they were so off target. It looks like that is gonna leave a mark. A bruise at best, a goose-egg at most." The throbbing I was feeling from my head made me feel like a goose-egg was the most likely of outcomes. He was thinking, _Man, she would look good in a potato sack. Even this shiner couldn't make her look bad. And those baby blue eyes… _Well, a girl could get used to that kind of thinking! I shook my head to try to clear it out, and took in the man that encapsulated those cherry-chocolate eyes. Strong jaw line, perfect nose, high cheekbones, and unkempt, yet incredibly sexy longish, wavy, bedhead brown hair. I didn't even make it down the length of his bronzed body because I was so caught up with his face. I wondered; do many humans come this way premade? Because if they do, sign me up for two.

"I'm Sookie," I said, mentally licking my lips. "Sookie Stackhouse."

"Adrian Fernandez," replied beautiful eyes, catching me in his gaze, just a few seconds too long. "It is really, really very nice to meet you Sookie Stackhouse. Have we met before?"


	5. Chapter 5

_I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me. I really just enjoy her characters!_

_I hope you like Chapter 5. I love hearing what you think: Please review_

**Chapter 5**

I snapped my eyes open, calculating from my time units into theirs, thinking, _Come the fuck on!_ _Another forty five minutes before I can leave this hell hole?_ Sometimes meeting the sun seems like a better way to go than living with this prison sentence- at least I would go on my own terms…

_Snap out of it Northman, you know you are way too important to even entertain thoughts like that! _Besides, I thought when I got my bearings, Sookie! The last thing I could remember before the sleep of the dead dragged me under was that Sookie was in great danger. She was in horrible pain and in more mental distress than I ever wished to feel radiating out from my bonded. Damn this infernal curse! The sun was still peeking over the horizon. No, I didn't have to see it. I just knew, to the very inner core of whom- no, _what_ I was, that the sun was still visible.

I gathered up what minimal strength I could muster up, and punched the wall of my coffin, and though I splintered the wood, my hand had moved in what seemed like slow -motion. Against my will I started imagining all of the horrible things that could have happened to Her in the last fourteen hours. Believe me, when you've lived as long as I have, you can imagine some incredibly horrific things. I sickened at the images in my head; images of Sookie battered with stones and instruments of torture. Sookie being raped, or torn apart limb-from-limb. I imagined her pristine skin cut with knives, shot in the head by a gun, or chained naked to a wall and beaten for some bigot's pleasure.

No, I couldn't wait any longer. Summoning my mental fortitude again, I reached up millimeter by millimeter and pushed the lid of the coffin up and over a bit. Although I was in a light-sealed room, I was still bound by the sun's invisible chains. Even as the lid fell off of the coffin, I knew that I would not be able to sit up, let alone leave the room and rescue the woman that somehow, and against my better judgment, I cared for more than any other in this entire thousand year existence. I roared in fury at my impotence, but because of my incapacitation it sounded more like a mumble.

The minutes passed with excruciating slowness. One thousand eighty seconds, one thousand seventy nine…

In my mind's eye I knew the sun was inching along to its nightly resting place. I tried to understand how my (ahem) life had become so completely braided- no, _tangled _was a better word, with Her life. I recalled the first time I set my eyes upon Her eyes. She was willful and proud and presented a fun challenge for me. The fact that she was Bill's made pursuit of Her even more interesting. And what a compliment to Sookie that I should find her interesting. As it was, I have seen pretty much every type of woman ever created. But She has become more than that, if I was being honest with myself. Ah yes, She will be my greatest conquest- and when I turn Her, I will do everything in my power to keep Her at my side.

_Mother Fucking Nature!_ I glared at the ceiling and toward the sky.

As the seconds wore down, I felt the shackles releasing their hold on me. I leapt out of the mahogany casket that was my true home and over to my cell phone.

I dialed. One ring. Two. Three. Voicemail. _Not good_, I thought.

I dialed again. An immediate answer this time.

"I had a feeling you'd be calling soon," she said smoothly.

"Cut the crap. Where the Hell are you?" My irritation was blatantly apparent.

Her words were as slick as grease as she replied, trying to placate me, "Eric, you know where I am. I am where I always am this time of day. I am getting ready to go to the bar."

"I will be in much later tonight. Take care of things for me, and if the customers get out of control, feel free to do some blood-letting at your own discretion."

"Master?" This didn't sound like the usual Eric. "Can I be of service?"

"I will be in touch. Pam." I didn't wait for a response before the phone was closed and I dialed Sookie again, heading toward my car.

More ringing. Still no answering. _Why did these idiotic humans create these portable telephones if they never planned on answering them? _I realized that I was being obscure and tried to focus myself. The drive was faster than usual, and as I drove I opened myself up fully to the bond that joined us. I rarely submitted my will completely to the force of the bond because it left me vulnerable in ways I was uncomfortable with, and I had never told Sookie about the _whole_ meaning of the bond. I wondered what she would say if she knew…

As I allowed the wave of energy to fill up my body, I immediately had to stop, shock resonating within. Where was She? The echo of Her energy that had always existed since the first drop of blood exchanged had waned in the past few months, but now I felt nothing. No echo- just silence. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road and stepped out of my Corvette to collect myself. Was it really possible that she was de- I couldn't even think the word. Wouldn't I know if she had…? _Ok, man up Northman and say it_. If she had _died_, wouldn't I have felt something? All those stories I'd heard over the centuries about break-bonded couples, they said it was like a portion of their own soul had been ripped from its resting place.

I stood there stock still and then felt about myself stupidly. My soul (that is of course assuming that I have a soul) felt to be intact. _What am I doing, I_ thought. _Am I really standing here on the side of the road in Deliverance country, pondering my soul? Because of a human child? This is not who I am- this shit will be the end of my undead life…_

It seemed I couldn't control my thoughts anymore.

At that moment, I felt a miniscule tug, the weight of a feather balancing upon the blade of a sword, at the invisible line that connected my Sookie to me. I felt more relief that I will ever admit to, and I immediately reignited my purpose.

_Ok, I will just drive over there and check to see if she is dying or alive, and then I will be on my way. Maybe it will be for the best that I can no longer feel her. _ I knew I was lying to myself, but I have to ask you: How the _fuck_ do you make it through generation after generation if you don't lie to yourself occasionally?

As I pulled up her long drive, I felt anxiety creep in. Her junky Malibu was parked behind her house. I checked the bond, and felt no relief as I realized she was nowhere nearby. I wandered over to her door, catching a waft of Amelia's scent, highlighted by eau de fairy, and finally, I smelled the blended combination of soap, honeysuckle and sunshine that encapsulates my Sookie. I knocked on the door even though I knew no one would answer. Hell, who wants to be the guy walking around empty houses quite literally sniffing the air? Who did I look like, that mutt Sam?

Ah, Sam. He always seems to be in the know when it comes to my Sookie. A little too in the know for my taste, but in the past he has proven quite helpful. I hopped back into my car and raced over to Merlotte's.

As I strode through the doors, I heard the conversations hush and felt the weight of the stares. I distinctly heard a table of Fellowship trash whispering about the 'monstrosity' that had just walked through the door and how they would like to punish 'it.' I felt my fangs lower at the murmured threats. _If it weren't for Her, I would have killed you all a thousand times over_, I thought to myself and ignored the waste of blood occupying that table.

Sam stood at the bar, one eyebrow raised. _He knows something_. As I sauntered up to him, my frustration must have been written across my face, because Sam smirked unabashedly at me. _He will regret that soon if he does not tell me what I need to know._ I demanded, "Where is She, Sam?"

"Well, well, well. The shoe is on the other foot now, isn't it Eric?" Sam replied smugly. "You mean she didn't call you and tell you where she went?" I could practically feel the waves of satisfaction rolling off of him.

"Don't go getting all 'territorial' on me, mutt," I responded coldly. "Just tell me where she is and I will leave you and your bar in peace. Otherwise, I will leave it in pieces."

Sam looked concerned for a split second, and then pulled himself together enough to point a finger at me and say, "You don't deserve her Northman. What do you even think you're doing? You can't just treat her like a toy to play with and then give to the Salvation Army when you've tired of her. She's a good girl, and you vamps have put her through enough hell for a lifetime."

My temper flared, and I was finished playing his game. I stepped toward him, and with one movement I was behind, yet alarmingly close to Sam. I felt myself giving in to the instincts that begged me to end this man's life. One of the bar patrons screamed as she saw my right hand pick Sam up off the floor by his neck. The Fellowship of the Sun group yelled something about taking me out, but all I had to do was turn around and let them see my rage, and they (and the rest of the bar) scampered out like scared rabbits.

In the time it took me to turn my attentions back to Sam, he had wriggled out of my grasp. He broke a pool cue in two, holding one half of the stick in each hand. I could feel the sparks crackling around him as he tried to hold off the change.

"Come on Fido," I yelled, egging him on. "Show the good people of Bon Temps who you really are!" I glanced around to see who was left in the bar. It was empty, except for the town drunk, who really ought to just move in to Merlotte's, because she was here so much. She was still sitting exactly where she was when I can in, looking thoroughly unconcerned about the events transpiring around her. I heard car doors slamming and tires screeching as the good people of Bon Temps changed their plans for the evening.

I took in all of this in the span of a few seconds, and Sam was still guarding his life with his homemade maple stakes. "You will tell me where she is."

Sam was looking wild, and must have been feeling like living on the edge as he retorted,"Why? So she can end up hurt, or dead, or worse- _like you_?" Sam was really going to regret this, but he was on a roll now, so I let him continue uninterrupted. "Where the fuck have you been these last months? You know what, _I don't even give a shit_ _where_ you've been or _who _you have been doing. Alls I know is that Sookie has been an effing disaster, crying and nervous, and I know it's because of you. It is always because of you, Northman. You have some sort of hold on her, and you just don't care. You couldn't possibly, because if you had any idea of the pain and fear you deposited into this girl, you woulda did something about it a long time ago!"

"You know NOTHING of me and Sookie," I said, the picture of icy fury. "Tell me where She is and whether She is hurt, and I will let you survive the night."

"If she's hurt? What are you talking about? Why would you think she is hurt? I talked to her this morning before she left and she was just fine." Finally, we're getting somewhere. This shit takes forever with shifters. They are not the most pragmatic of species.

It suddenly sank in to me that Sam had said that Sookie wasn't hurt. A calm began to spread through my body in a way I had never felt before. It was like spreading a healing balm over festering sores I did not realize had covered my body. The fire drained out of me, and I sat down too abruptly for Sam to fully catch the motion. "Ah, She is okay." Sam seemed to realize that there would not be a fight tonight and sat down beside me on a bar stool. "Sam. Where is Sookie?" I asked one final time.

Sam sighed, relenting."Miami." I looked down at the man who had finally stopped crackling like a firecracker. "I really wasn't supposed to tell you where she was. Amelia and Claudine thought it would ruin things if you found out…"

"Miami, huh?" Sam nodded. "I lived there in the 1920's. It had interesting nightlife then, I wonder what it's like now…" Sam smirked and got up to pour himself a Dos Equis and to grab me a True Blood. I decided to change the subject. "Were you really ready to try to fight me Sam? You realize you would have died tonight, right?"

Sam peered over cautiously at the drunk and seeming satisfied with what he saw said, "This close to the full moon, I don't really have a choice of whether or not to fight. You know how it is."

I shrugged, "Not really," and took a sip of synthetic blood. Ugh, this stuff may be close, but it is definitely not the real thing. I will have to take care of that when I get back to Fangtasia. Fangbangers may be pathetic, but their hearts still pulsed with energy. "Police coming?"

"Who knows? Probably." Sam had resumed his place beside me. "Eric," he said, "You have got to figure out what you are doing with Sookie. She is important."

I sat back in my chair, polished my drink off and then looked hard at Sam for a second. I stood up, tossed some cash on the bar, "For some new pool cues," I said, and walked out the door. Sookie can have her fun this time, I thought as I buckled up for no good reason. We will have much to discuss when I see her next. I was thinking about what it was that sustains me on this earth as I sped back to Shreveport.

_Thanks for reading! Chapter 6 will be out soon, and we are gonna heat things up………………………. SJ_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer:_ _I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am merely playing with them. Please don't sue me. I really just enjoy her characters!_

_Hey all of you out there in FanFic land (and what a beautiful place to be!), here is Chapter 6 of Dead Silence. It is my longest chapter to date by far. I don't want to bribe you to review- but I will if I have to! Enjoy, SJ_

**Chapter 6**

I swallowed loudly, looking up at this beautiful stranger, _Adrian_, I thought. Had we met before? I flashed on the men who came through Merlotte's. The last guys I had had the _privilege_ (and I use that term loosely) of meeting from out of town had beards and beer-bellies, not to mention tipped a whopping ten percent. "Nope, I don't think we've met before," I stated.

Adrian squinted at me then jumped up off the sand quickly, offering his hand to help me up. "I must be confusing you with someone else. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Believe me, I have had a lot worse," images of fangs, stakes and bullets assaulting my consciousness.

"Well, at least let me help you to your towel," he said and I pointed to the chairs where our stuff was stashed. Adrian put a gentle hand on my back as he guided me over. I was surprised when he took the chair next to me, pulling Amelia's towel up and patting his chest and shoulders dry.

I raised my eyebrows as I thought about the fit Amelia would have when she realized he had used her towel but chose not to mention it. "Um, thanks," I said as I settled in, adjusting my bikini in the process. It was then that I noticed the rest of the package that I hadn't inspected a few minutes earlier. He had skin like melted caramel, and was barefoot with red board shorts that hung low on his hips. I noticed a band of muscle on each side that shaped into a perfect v and a tummy and chest that I could balance my checkbook on- but he was definitely not one of those overly-developed beefcakes… I could feel my libido rising and my face flushing as I took in the man sitting across from me. _Get it together, Sookie!_ I forced my eyes back up to his face from the smattering of curly chest hair that adorned his pecs. _Sookie Stackhouse- what would your grandmother think? _Much to our mutual chagrin, as I looked up, I caught Adrian doing the same thing I had been doing, and his eyes widened in embarrassment.

_Wow. Way to make a good impression, Captain Cool Guy! Okay, well now she thinks I am a total perv. Awesome job. Looks like now would be a good time to make my exit- before she asks me if I am a charter member of the Steve Urkel fan club._

Adrian stood up slowly, trying to look at anything but me saying, "Well, it was super to meet you. I hope I get to the chance to maybe see you outside- well I guess we're already outside, but what I mean is, I hope you get to see me soo…" he exhaled loudly, flushing scarlet."Have a nice day," he said shortly, did an about face and practically ran back to his friends thinking, _**Super?**__ What was that? Who says Super? What am I, thirteen? What just happened to my game…?_

I giggled as I watched the last remaining traces of sunshine disappear behind me.

"Who was the hotness?" Amelia asked, sauntering up with Claudine at her heels.

"And where can I get one?" Claudine chimed in, both wearing mischievous grins on their faces.

"Adrian Fernandez," I stated, "It was so cute- he was actually nervous! And ladies, I just think you should be informed; _I have still got it! _So, you girls better watch out!"

"Well, we know Sookie here appreciates the finer things in life," Claudine said, drying her hair off with a towel. "What is he?"

Clearly catching her drift, I waggled my eyebrows and said, "One hundred percent human."

"No effing way. He was too fine to be a normal." Amelia was clawing her fingers through her wet hair. She grabbed her towel and noticed it was used. Indignant, she stated, "Yeah. Definitely human. If he was a supe, he would've known you don't use Amelia Broadway's stuff and live to tell about it!"

We were still laughing as we wandered down Ocean Drive looking for somewhere to eat dinner. I was amazed at all the types of people wandering the busy road. I saw so many different walks of life perusing the strip; from exhausted looking families toting wide-eyed kids, to the beefcake type guy I am not so attracted to (but, I must say, that Claudine had a peculiar draw to), and beautiful, model-esque girls pumped full of silicone and tanned to a perfect shade of orange.

We settled at a little place where gorgeous hostesses were standing outside yelling about the dinner specials of the evening. Actually, there were people outside of every restaurant yelling, but this one just looked a little more interesting. Ah, yes, how much better it was to eat with people who also enjoyed a solid meal now and then.

We ate a really overpriced meal and watched the beach transform. For as much as we were people-watching, there were equal parts of people watching us. At one point during our meal, a group of slick haired, white pant wearing gentleman invited us to go on a 'rollerblading adventure' with them the next day. Claudine batted her eyelashes at them while Amelia threw a glass of water on one of the guys who was trying to get close to our table and cop a feel on my breasts. "Time to get back to the hotel," Amelia urged us.

"Girls, I am exhausted," I complained as we let ourselves back into the hotel room and I collapsed on Amelia's bed. "What do ya think- let's stay in and watch an old movie and order room service dessert???"

Claudine just laughed at me while Amelia countered, "How will we find sweet Adrian again for you if we just hang out in the room all night? You aren't the only one who is single here, thank you very much."

Amelia was thinking about one of the other guys who had been playing football with Adrian this afternoon. "What happened to Trey? I thought things were going good between the two of you?"

"Ah," Claudine answered for Amelia. "Amelia decided that Trey was too primitive for her tastes" I was imagining Trey as a fully transformed Were, with a napkin tucked in around his neck, drinking a nice cognac and laughed.

"What did you expect? He's part wolf!" I joked.

Amelia glared at me and Claudine scooted over to my side on the bed, "That man _was_ clearly interested in you dear Sookie. Have you given any thought to having a relationship with a regular human? I guarantee your great grandfather would prefer that decision over your usual conquests."

I felt my ire raise as I listened to Claudine refer to my past relationships, "Claudine, Niall cannot just waltz into my life and expect me to submit to his demands. I have to deal with enough of that in my day to day life. And as far as my conquests… well, they were more than conquests to me, even if I was nothing but a telepathic trophy to be placed on a mantle-"

"Sookie, I didn't mean it like that-"

"No," I interrupted again, the tears collecting in the corners of my eyes, "It's fine. I know my worth. I know that no one ever loved me. Hell, I don't really know if anybody ever really even cared about me. I mean, think about it; where in God's name has Eric been lately? I have heard not a peep- not a Peep from him in the last month and a half, and why? Because he could have loved me? Would that have been so damn horrible?" I rolled over on the bed, staring out the window, as nearly two months and three years of misery and sadness collapsed over me.

I tried to silence my tears, knowing how awkward it must be for Claudine and Amelia to see me like this, but was unsuccessful. _He could have loved me, but he chose not to. What kind of person has people go out of their way _not_ to love them? And Bill_… ah, that was a whole other kind of pain. That pain held my gut in a state of icy hurt, and no matter how many times Bill tried to pull himself out from the graves in my heart, he just ended up opening new holes of pain. _Get out of me!_ My head screamed in sorrow. As the tears fell, I laughed remembering how they loved to taste my tears… Just how many tears will I cry for these, these _predators?_

Maybe it _was_ time I tried my hand with a human male. I was better at my shielding, and I was entitled to have a little fun now and then. I felt myself coming out of my stupor (Word of the Day: May 1) and turned around to look back at Claudine and Amelia.

They were gone. "Girls?" I managed to sniff out through my runny nose. _Lord, I must be a royal mess,_ I thought. _Giant bruise on my forehead, snot all over my face, tear stained face, ocean hair_…. The list went on. I refocused, "Ladies, you can come out now. I am okay, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Claudine called from the other room.

"Yeah, I guess I just had a little pity party to attend…" I silenced myself when I heard the male voices. _What the-?_ Wait, these were bad male voices.

The next thing I knew, Bill and Eric emerged from the other room. Really, really bad, Drag Queen Bill and Eric. "Oh my God," I screeched. Amelia had slicked her hair back into a tight ponytail and had painted on ridiculous sideburns. She was wearing khaki pants and a brooding expression. Claudine was wearing a blonde wig, a black ensemble, and stretched herself up to her full six foot tall height, posing against the door frame. Claudine had a haughty expression masking her beautiful face and was glaring at Vampire Bill. Eric. "What are you doing??" I was appalled… and it was hilarious. Claudine/Eric sprung into action.

"Bill, as your superior, I command you to be a complete and utter tool," she stated in an almost perfect imitation of Eric.

Amelia/Bill, bowing deeply, replied, "Of course, you must consider it already done and perfected, Your Fabio-Wannabe Majesty…" I must have had my jaw on the floor, because Claudine looked over at me and winked, then returned to proper Eric stature.

"In the meantime, I must return to my full-length gilded mirror to admire the perfection that I have attained, simply be having been born, then having died, and then living again, sort-of."

"Of course, my Superior in every way, shape and form. Please let me know how long to keep to my true nature of douche-bagginess, whenever you have finished staring at yourself in the mirror. Or should I say, in six or seven lifetimes?"

"Will do, my underling." They came together, Amelia/Bill kneeling at Eric's feet, and kissing an imaginary ring. I was in hysterics and having a hard time breathing, "Claudine, I didn't know you could do voices! That was great!"

Amelia stood back up and took Claudine's hand in hers and they both curtsied to me. "End scene," Amelia called out. "Girl, we love ya, and we don't want any stupid vampires to make you cry. Ever. We were simply illustrating for you why it is that you need to spend no more time heartsick over those two pathetic losers."

I winced as she referred to my bonded as a loser, but got up to hug them anyway. "Y'all are the best. Let's get out of here- you're right, I don't need to wallow like some feeble creature over those jerks. "

Claudine and Amelia shared a triumphant smile as I wandered into the bathroom to clean up for a night on the town. But even as I stood there, letting the heat and steam do their job, I couldn't help but feel the old, familiar ache when I thought of Eric. I decided to rip the band aid off, and just to torment myself, I opened up the bond, testing to see how much of him I could feel.

Nothing. What? Nothing? There was absolutely nothing stirring inside of me as I listened, and felt around blindly for any sign of my blood-bonded. I felt a pain searing through my chest, but no it was not from him; this was all Sookie Stackhouse's pain. Where did he go? I was sure he was alive, because Eric could not die, at least not in my mind. How long had it been since we shared blood last? Oh, my Lord! Had it been long enough for me to lose the brush of his soul against mine? And why was I upset about this? This is exactly what I had been hoping for only minutes before. I felt free, and at the same time I felt like a major component of my joy was missing.

I managed to pull myself together to try to enjoy my newfound freedom. Hey it is like that saying goes, everything happens for a reason right? I pulled my old, familiar tight smile on along with my pale coral colored dress with a scandalous hemline and white strappy stiletto sandals. I had curled my long blonde hair into loose waves that emphasized my tan and finished the look off with a touch of mascara and some rose lip gloss. I was feeling like a true Florida peach when I met the Amelia in the main suite area of our room. Amelia was living on the wild side tonight in a black shorter than your mama woulda let you wear dress that emphasized her cleavage with gold heels and oversized jewelry.

"Wow, Amelia! You look gorgeous!"

"It's not too much?" Amelia asked with a nervous smile on her face. "Claudine insisted I wear it tonight, and you know how hard it is to say no to a fairy…"

"No girl, it is perfect! You are a knockout!" I looked around, "Where is she anyhow?"

"Oh, she cheated getting ready. And she said she'd meet us at the bar," Amelia replied, gathering up her purse. When I looked confused she snapped her fingers like Claudine did sometimes, and said "Ta-da!"

"Oh, I see." Claudine had used her magic to get ready. "What happened to doing things the 'human way?' "

Amelia just shrugged and said, "I guess she got bored."

When we found the outdoor bar, Amelia and I were not surprised to see Claudine surrounded by a huge group of men. There were probably twelve guys packed in around her all vying for her attentions and trying to buy her favor with drinks. She was looking like the angel she was trying to become in a white corseted mini-dress and piles and piles of silver jewelry_. I guess one can never be too careful when vampires are lurking in the shadows somewhere,_ I thought. As we wandered to where Claudine was standing with her harem of admirers, I let my eyes drift over the beautiful surroundings. I was taken aback at the amount of angry, hateful thoughts coming out of the tables near the bar.

_Whore!_

_Get the fuck back here you horndog…_

_Who does she think she is…….?_

_I used to look like that. Okay, I never did, but who does? God, he might as well be on his knees begging her for it…._

_I guess I'd be interested in her too even if he wasn't, she's a Goddess…._

"Actually, she's a fairy," I said to the woman whose thoughts I had heard last, I couldn't help it! The look on her face was unfathomable as I walked by, and I was cracking up audibly as I zeroed in on the sources of the rest of the comments: they were all coming from the women whose dates (and husbands!) had left them to attend to Claudine. And they were pissed. "Uh, Amelia, I think it is best if we get Claudine out of here A.S.A.P., unless you feel like partaking in a little WWF action."

"And ruin this pretty dress? Nah, let's get her out of here."

We pulled Claudine out of the would-be melee (February 26) much to the mutual dismay of our fairy and all of her potential suitors. "This is gonna be an interesting night," I said to the girls as we wandered down Collins Avenue and onto Washington Avenue. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"Oh, I didn't tell you? Sorry. There is this new, well older club that I want to check out," said Claudine. It is called Osiris and it's owned by some water-weres."

I almost choked on my spit, "What are water-weres? And why are we going to a supe club?"

"Well child, we won't be there for long, but there is a were working there who _your_ great grandfather needs a favor from, which is yet another reason this trip was so fortuitous." _Okay, fortuitous, think Stackhouse- oh yes, bringing good fortune. That _had_ to be one of last year's words_.

"And the water-weres?"

"You didn't think all shifters could breathe only oxygen did you? Where I am from and where you are from, in part, we can take in all kinds of liquids and gases or what have you to sustain our lives. Things are really much simpler here. But it can be tough for the weres to get to the water in time on a full moon. Didn't you ever wonder about the real reason for all the beached animals they do those TV specials on?"

Amelia and I just stared slack-jawed at Claudine as she tried to explain. "Too much information?" she pondered, and we both nodded simultaneously. "Oh well! Back to Osiris. This place used to be a place called 'Bed' but was converted recently. I will be interested to see how it was changed."

By that time we had arrived at the nightclub, which was framed by hieroglyphs and had a huge line all the way down the street. Claudine led us straight up to the bouncer who looked us over (a little too long and a little too thoroughly if you ask me), smirked, and let us past the velvet rope. The whole place was dark and lit with golden hues. It looked like it was decorated by _Big Lots Egypt_ with kitsch galore and loads of art depicting an Ancient Egyptian with green skin. I nodded my head at the closest rendering and asked Amelia, "You think this guy here is Osiris?"

"If he was, then I am pretty sure he's not anymore," Amelia responded, distracted, surveying the flashy patrons of the bar. "Mmm, there's a cutie," she murmured and then slinked over to a gentleman standing at the bar. I had started doing a mental survey of the room when Claudine interrupted me.

"Sookie, I think I see the person I am supposed to meet up with. I will be right back." I nodded and watched as she strode toward a young, well-dressed girl with a nametag on her chest that looked very happy to see her. I noticed several sets of eyes snap onto Claudine as she left my side… _I wonder what it's like to be Claudine_, I thought. _She can't even walk through a room without causing a commotion. _

It was then that I really started to wonder what the draw was to this club- I mean why were there so many people standing in line- for this? I had begun to take in my surroundings when I noticed to my amazement some huge beautiful beds spaced out evenly against the walls. Wow, well that explains it; I can see people wanting to come cozy up with their date in a sort-of voyeuristic pleasure. It wasn't really _my_ cup of tea, but I guess if you wanted to feel like you were being bad without really being bad, maybe Osiris was the place to be.

I walked over to touch the covers, wondering if the beds were as comfy as they looked when I stopped dead in my tracks. In pausing between two of the beds I had stumbled on the corner of something. Something that shouldn't have been there. OhmyGod! It was a coffin, built for two. And it was occupied. "Oh, pardon me," I stuttered as two pairs of eyes stared up at me in anger. "That looks… er, cozy," I continued lamely, inching my way backward, my eyes catching for the first time some of the many signs advertising "Blood of Isis" blood, with a fountain (which I assumed to be the Fountain of Youth) in the background.

What was this place? All of the spaces that I thought were empty contained double-wide sarcophagi for human-vampire couples. I watched as some of the couples ordered 'bottle service,' and were tended to by cocktail servers dressed as carbon-copied Cleopatras. I felt like I was going to be sick and looked around for the nearest bathroom. Before I took a step though, I finished my mental check on the building. Weres, weres, lots of weres with blue-green thought patterns. That's different. I also caught some unfamiliar brainwaves, but to top it all off (and believe me I counted twice) there were nineteen vampires in the building_. I have got to get out of here. Oh no! Claudine has to get out of here!_ All of a sudden those heads snapping to attention as Claudine passed by took on a completely different meaning other than the lust I had imagined.

There was something else too, in some of the voices I heard. Something I didn't quite catch, but I knew was very important. Was it fear? Desperation? There was something else, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Whatever. Now was not the time for me to think about that. I glanced around to see Amelia standing about fifteen feet away and grabbed her arm as a handsome Puerto Rican guy was saying, "You see Osiris is the God of the Afterlife, and his wife…" Amelia looked alarmed as I pulled her with me in my search for Claudine.

"Sookie, what is the matter?" Amelia cried "You're gonna break my arm!"

"Vampires. Lots of 'em. We gotta get Claudine out of here," I stated as calmly as I could in my haste, loosening my grip on her arm.

"Shit!" Amelia got my point, and we split up to find my fairy godmother.

_See you soon! Thanks for reading… SJ_


	7. Chapter 7

_I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws and I am seeking no compensation of any kind in writing this. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me!!!!_

_Here is the next chapter for you my friends. What an amazing response to the last! Thanks for the reviews- much appreciation!_

Chapter 7

Amelia and I spread out across the dance floor searching for Claudine, and I strained my eyes looking through the dimly lit nightclub for her white dress in a sea of dark clothes. People were apparently not in the mood to move aside for me, so I had to push myself bodily into some of the onlookers just to pass. As I crushed through a particularly tight group I looked up to murmur a quick, "I'm sorry," as I knocked the drink out of the hand of a young girl who looked annoyed, then glowered at me in a way that at any other time would have scared the crap out of me. _Why does everybody look familiar in this town? _ I wondered in passing.

I felt my blood pressure surge as I caught a flash of white near the front of the club. _Claudine_, I thought with relief which was quickly replaced with trepidation as I took in her situation. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Amelia step into place at my side.

Claudine was surrounded on three sides by intoxicated-looking vampires. I counted quickly- there were four that looked like they were trying to corral her away from the door, and Claudine was wearing a mask of self-assurance but beneath it I could see frustration in her eyes.

I felt a tug on my wrist and I switched my attention over quickly to Amelia as she asked "Why doesn't she just, you know, 'pop' out of here?"

I turned back to and tried to assess the situation. "I don't know- I think that something is wrong with her." Without thinking, I stepped forward and between two of the vampires, Amelia at my heels. They seemed to be so enthralled with Claudine that they didn't even notice us as we set ourselves up to form a meager screen in front of her. Claudine gave me a pleading look as I turned my back on her to face the threat. I already knew that we had absolutely no chance with these guys if and when they decided to attack, but after all the times that Claudine had been there for me, I just couldn't stand aside and watch her die.

I peered from face to face, my heart thumping like a wild bird in my chest, thinking what a huge fool I was, while I heard Amelia thinking that if she lived through this, she was going to get some regular human friends (albeit half-heartedly). Claudine shuddered behind us in what I assumed was an attempt to 'pop out,' and I could hear the stress in her voice as she muttered, "Niall is gonna kill me!"

I faced the vampire who looked like he might still have a trace of sanity left in his eyes; a tall, wiry red-head with skin so pale it seemed like I could almost locate every empty vein mapping the sub-terrain of his skin. "Let us leave," I stated with as much strength in my voice as I could muster.

He and the wildebeest of a vamp to his left shook their heads dazedly, noticing Amelia and I for the first time. Wildebeest grinned and ran his fingers through his straggly, tangled hair, and I almost expected him to grunt at me and stamp a hoof. "Something funny?" I blurted out. _Lord, don't let me regret my haste tonight._ I was really wishing for a little ass-kicking vampire back-up tonight. Yeah, that would have been awesome.

The Opie look-alike raised a pale eyebrow at my brazenness. "You must not actually believe that we would freely let a pure-blooded fairy just walk out of here, when she came so willingly here…" Opie's eyes snapped back onto Claudine behind us and he let out a low moan of sheer lust, which was echoed by the other two otherwise silent vampires. "And she is quite the vintage- I have never had a Fairy of her _refinement_."

Thing One and Thing Two to his right stepped forward boldly. Amelia was chanting quietly next to me, obviously working a spell, and when she saw them approach she let out a feral growl; the likes of which I had only heard matched by vampires in a moment of true bloodlust. I felt power surging off of Amelia's body, rolling over me, and plowing into the encroaching vampires, knocking them back a step or two. I was transfixed as Amelia glared into each set of dead eyes that at that moment had widened in fear. I felt Claudine sensing the opportunity and inching toward the door.

The crowd was silent, deadly silent, as I saw shifters and Weres alike gauging the seriousness of the situation. Some of the in-the-know humans were thinking about the proximity of the full moon, and were wondering if their date would recognize them if they had to change. Other humans were just excited at seeing a real-live (pardon) vampire fight. Little did they know how rarely humans made it out alive when vampires got riled up.

The power surged through Amelia again like a live wire and she stated with a power I had never heard, "You will let us and the Fairy leave this place, now." She focused on Thing Two and I don't know if everybody could see it, or if it was just me, but a golden chain of electricity whipped from her mouth, lashing him like a specially-made vampire taser, and he jolted and curled into a ball on the floor, twitching. Thing One roared in fury, and as Amelia turned her attention onto him, he shrunk back in terror.

Opie had a hint of a smile straining his freckled cheeks as the Wildebeest waited for the signal to tear us to pieces. Other vamps had started creeping closer as he held up a hand to the room. "Very nice technique, Witch." I furrowed my brows, crouching to prepare for whatever he would decide would be our fate. "Very nice, indeed." I chanced a glance behind me to see that Claudine had scooted as far away as possible from the scene and was breathing heavily. Amelia was in the exact position she had been in, glaring at Opie and continuing her chant, chain at the ready.

"You may leave tonight, my friends," he said so that the entire room would hear. "But it is with a sad heart that I allow your scrumptious friend to part from my graces. I daresay I hope for a speedy return," he murmured, doing his best to smolder at Claudine with fangs completely extended, palpable lust evident in his eyes and in his jeans. He held his arm in front of the Wildebeest and shook his head minutely at the crowd.

It was the second time that night I threw up a little in my mouth, but I swallowed back the bile as we scooted backward, then through the open door- never turning our backs on the club. As soon as we were through the doors Claudine grabbed Amelia and I around our biceps and 'poofed' us out of there.

For ten seconds I was nowhere. I didn't exist on this planet, yet I existed everywhere. I was not in my body- because who needs a body when you aren't even sure you exist?

As fast as it began it was over, and we landed, back in our bodies and in a crumpled heap behind a dumpster in an empty alley. _Holy Mother of Mercy._

*****

I stepped out of my car, feeling the familiar cement under my shoes as I returned to Fangtasia. I inhaled deeply, searching for unknowns or threats and upon finding nothing, I passed through the service entrance to catch up on some work. I decided to allow my peasants some time to work up into the frenzy that always occurs when I take my time presenting myself.

Pam was waiting by the door. "Is all well, Sheriff?"

I ignored my memories of the night and the uncomfortable feeling I had in the back of my mind. "Why would you think that something is wrong, Pam?" I was testing her will, and like a good second in command she just shrugged in silent acquiescence.

"I will be needing to eat."

Pam gave me a knowing smirk and said, "I believe one of the newer fangbangers has bribed our Felicia for that honor this evening."

I gave her a sidelong glance as Pam bobbed her head, "Master," and left me at my office door. I took in the scents wafting from the cracks in my door. Well, if She can have fun, then I suppose I ought not deny myself the pleasure. I opened the door and strode in.

The lights were off, except for a few strategically placed candles. Not that I needed candles to see her. She was pretty enough- but she was no Sookie. I quickly banished all thoughts of my torment and desire. This was not a night for thoughts of Sookie Stackhouse.

The wilted flower had taped plastic sheets across the carpet and positioned herself on the floor on her back. She was completely naked, and as I approached she leaned over, picked up a ceramic pitcher, and began pouring blood- human blood?- over her extremely full breasts and let it run down the rest of her body into her deepest crevices. I cocked my head at her and pondered for approximately one second as to how she managed to get the blood, and then the lust took over. I was naked and had slid into her thoroughly lubricated body even before the pitcher was empty. I lapped her up quickly and completely, and though the sex was decent and I enjoyed the display, my arrival was empty and I was full if not satisfied.

I left her panting on the floor and tossed her a towel. "After you've cleaned this mess up you can use the employee's exit when you leave," I stated unfeelingly and she stared up at me, shocked. "What did you expect? A proposal?" Idiot humans, I was thinking as I stepped into the steaming hot staff shower.

My thoughts tread water in the deep pool that was my Sookie, and I sank under into Her cool depth, as I felt the usual tussle of emotions as I went over our complex relationship. Another hunger rose for Her and I wondered if I would make it another week without Her, or if I could continue to subsist on these pathetic creatures. The delegation from Nevada had finally removed themselves from my side (as thorns) and I imagined Her expression if I were to present myself on their girls-only vacation. Her fury would be palpable; I was chuckling as I dried off and dressed for the rest of the evening. I truly hate the wild streak in Her, but I shuddered to think of breaking Her of it.

Okay, Northman. As usual, you have gone off on a thought tangent. You must remember who you are. You cannot afford to have feelings… unless you are ready to die.

As one who was most definitely not ready to die, I sauntered onto my throne to settle in the routine of the night, nodding to my associates and ignoring the rest.

Thirty minutes later, though she was a miniscule dot on my internal radar that I couldn't locate lately, Sookie died. I felt razor-edged claws grip my dead organs, twisting, splashing acid into parts of my soul I didn't realize were still alive. They were dead now, as surely as she was dead, a huge portion of my soul was dead. I howled and crumpled over in my throne. I was her very own vampire fylgie, and pain and sorrow coursed through my dead body.

Pam was at my side in a flash, the entire bar paralyzed at my display.

And as quickly as it began, it was over. I landed, whole, back in my body and realized I was in front of my underlings. She lives, she exists still. I could think of nothing to say, but I felt more alive than I had in centuries. Every part of my body was lit up with energy, and though I was pissed to have shown any weakness in front of those who owed me fealty, I couldn't explain the feelings racing across my brain as I composed my façade and gave the bar a 'carry on' gesture.

It took a moment, and there were some looks of misgiving, but things paced back to normal. I shooed Pam away, and she watched me uncertainly as I impassively tried to figure out what had just happened to my bonded.

****

I was catching my breath against the wall. Somehow I had landed on the top of the witch, telepath and fairy heap. I was attempting to calm down and feeling Eric more than I had in weeks. I couldn't register his emotions. They just didn't make sense. Hell, I couldn't read my own at the moment. I gathered my mental faculties and asked, "Are you girls okay?"

Amelia pulled out from under where Claudine was on top of her. "That was awesome."

Claudine scooted up against the wall near me, "I don't know if I would use that adjective, Amelia. I almost got darn _eaten_!" This was the closest I had ever been to hearing Claudine say a curse word, so I knew she was worked up.

"Are you okay Claudine?" I was worried about her mental health after something like that.

"It was crazy, one second I was just talking to Marcela about some business, and then she was gone and I was surrounded…" She took a deep breath. "I couldn't use my abilities to escape; it was like there was some sort of net holding me in the building." Claudine paused, "And what did you do back there 'Mel? I have never seen anything like that before!"

Amelia peered down the alley, "I had to use a very old magic of protection that I'd never used before. I really am not supposed to have access to that power, but there are some spells Octavia can't keep me from learning…"

"Well, thank God you did, because otherwise then we would have been some seriously unenthusiastic blood donors," I chimed in. "Um Claudine, just out of curiosity, where are we?"

She looked hesitant as she consulted some sort of internal compass. "I know we're still on Miami Beach, but I am not one hundred percent sure where. You see, I have never attempted to take humans through the passage with me before- let alone two."

"I am lucky to have such talented friends."

"Talented, hah! I am a descendent of royalty, and I couldn't even escape a pathetic supe-owned bar. Some protector I've turned out to be… Niall is going to have my hide for a meal," Claudine lamented.

I was more than ready to go hit the hay and try to forget the horror that almost unfolded as we rearranged our outfits and tried to wander in the direction of our hotel. Unfortunately Amelia had other plans.

"I need a drink." I looked in dumbfounded amazement at Amelia.

"Can't you get something at the hotel?"

"No way, it's still early, and I know just the place we can go. I promise it's a human-owned establishment, and you'll have so much fun."

I just stared back and forth between her and the fairy, who was starting to nod her head in agreement. "You _can't_ be serious. I mean, we almost just got _eaten_…" but I felt that this was probably not going to be a battle I would win.

"You think that anyone is gonna come after us tonight? Let's be real."

I shuddered when I thought of Osiris, and Opie's ominous words. I sighed in acquiescence and Amelia led us to a giant nightclub with hordes of coeds dressed in even more revealing outfits than us. "What do they call this place?"

"This..." Amelia stated with fanfare as we passed up the line easily and entered the largest and most crowded bar I had ever seen, "is Mansion."

"I'm definitely gonna need a drink now, too" I said as I took in the stunning debauchery of youth in all its glory. I took the mental temperature, and to my immense relief, I could feel only a very tiny supe to human ratio. "Thank the Lord," I muttered.

"Are we good?" Claudine questioned. I gave her two thumbs up, because it was so loud in there with pulsing house music vibrating my bones. "Let's party!" She yelled.

By the time Claudine and I had reached the bar, Amelia had shots lined up. "No lemons, right?" Claudine questioned. Amelia nodded reassuringly.

We started doing shots- and I am not really a huge drinker so you can imagine how it went, and if you ever wondered if fairies can get wasted, the answer is yes. Oh, yes. I must say that she has some very interesting views on human-fairy interspecies sex. The men kept approaching, but after the night we had had, we just shooed them away in favor of enjoying each other instead.

When Claudine wandered with Amelia to the ladies room (_just like a human girl!_), I was fighting the racket that I had no chance of blocking out in my inebriated state when he tapped my shoulder. I flung myself around expecting it to be one of the vamps from earlier. "Adrian!" I said, brilliantly. _Smooth,_ I thought.

He was standing there, leaning against the bar looking incredible in white linen pants and a fitted black t-shirt, eyes sparkling. "Sookie. I thought that was you. I just wanted to come over and say hi- you know, and check on the noggin."

"Oh," I reached up to touch my forehead at the same time he reached to put his fingers on my bruise and we brushed hands. I felt a single spark race up my arm, across my armpit, and down the side of my breast. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking. Who cares? I caught his eye held it, feeling bold, and he was the first to look away.

"Well, it doesn't look too bad; I think it'll heal up real nice." I nodded, still feeling a surge of desire as I struggled to hold out his thoughts. _I don't wanna know what he's thinking! I don't wanna know what he's thinking!_ I was being firm with myself, but it didn't seem to help. Before I could lose my brain in his thoughts, we were interrupted.

"Hey Sook- you going to introduce us?" Amelia and Claudine were flanking me.

"Ah, sure. Adrian, this is Claudine," they shook hands, "and Amelia," she eyed him. "Ladies, this is Adrian, Adrian….?"

"Fernandez. Pleased to meet you ladies. I am the guy who is responsible for giving your friend her newest accessory," he said pointing to my forehead.

"Right," said Amelia. "Did you come here alone, or are you with friends?" She gave me a smirk on the fly. They knew exactly who this guy was, and Amelia at least was on the prowl thinking, _I hope he has a friend for me…_

"Yeah, I'm actually here with a bunch of friends for a bachelor party weekend."

"Really?" Claudine likes human festivities. "What do you have planned?"

Adrian's eyes lit up- "Oh a lot! We're going kite-boarding, one day we plan on sky-diving, doing some hunting in the Keys… I could go on, but I don't want to bore you-"

"Little brother!" Adrian peered over his shoulder as he was interrupted.

"Ah, I knew they wouldn't let me sit with you three gorgeous girls too long without sticking their noses in it!" Adrian winked at me, "Ladies, allow me to introduce my brother Felix and our friends Ethan and Austin. Austin here is tying the knot next week."

The man I took to be Adrian's brother Felix stepped in as introductions went around. "You must be the famous Sookie Stackhouse!"

I drew an internal breath. Had I really become famous- oh Lord! What did they know about me?

"My baby brother hasn't shut up about you all day. It seems you did a number on him," Felix teased and I exhaled quietly, checking his head. Okay, he really didn't know anything about me.

"Felix! Is that how you do your blood?" Adrian was blushing, and I stifled my laugh at his tension. I glanced at the girls, and Amelia had the look of a predator on her face as she stared up at Felix. _Yummy,_ she was practically purring.

"Anyways, we were just talking about our plans for the week. Would you ladies be interested in joining us tomorrow?" _Please don't ask us to go on a rollerblading adventure, _I prayed. _Please don't be weirdos! "_We're going to go parasailing or kite-boarding or something like that," Adrian's mind just showed hope, and it was so sweet I had to smile.

"Oh, can we?" Claudine asked. "I've never sailed on a pear before!"

The guys gave me quizzical looks, but all I could do was roll my eyes to keep from cracking up, and with that our day was set.

_Tune in next time for a new episode! -SJ_


	8. Chapter 8

_I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws and I am seeking no compensation of any kind in writing this. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me!!!!_

_Is it just me, or did y'all need an update? You were looking a bit peaky… Enjoy the Eighth Installment!_

Chapter 8

I slept sweetly and full of peace, even after my strange day. It was hard to believe I had woken up in Bon Temps the previous morning. I stretched my arms over my head and to my sides in pleasure as I relaxed in the comfort of a cushy down comforter and lots of pillows. There was a dim ache in the back of my head that reminded me of just how much liquor I'd consumed the night before. I rolled over onto my side… and right on top of Claudine. _Whoops_! I scooted back as quickly as possible. I had forgotten that we were sharing the king-sized bed.

"Good morning, princess," Claudine was gorgeous even when she first woke up. Ugh, how wonderful to be reminded of your imperfections as soon as your eyes opened to the world. "You are quite the snuggler! No wonder those vampires can't get enough of you. I very much enjoyed sleeping with you," she beamed.

Well… okay. I shook my head and perched up on my elbow, looking around the room. "Don't get any ideas there Claudine," I smirked at her then focused on my immediate needs. "Coffee?"

"Amelia."

Right, I thought and skedaddled from the comfort of the bed and to the bathroom. My thoughts skimmed like stones across a lake over the events of the night and that strange club Osiris, and I dawdled even longer on the mysterious, beautiful Adrian. I vaguely remembered telling him we would do something with them sometime, and shuddered at my brazenness. I mean, I barely knew this guy- when would I learn my lesson about trusting people I didn't know? _I am such a fool._

Even as I chided myself, I remembered the lust I had felt when I had hooked into his cherry-chocolate eyes and the feel of his warm, strong hand as we brushed each other ... Not to mention the way his tan and well-muscled shoulders had looked in the setting sun… Shoulders like that could hold a girl in some very interesting positions… I couldn't help the onslaught of naughty pictures that passed through my mind… Can you turn the Superman into a sexual position?? I bit my lip and giggled quietly into the bathroom mirror when my fantasies turned gymnastic.

When I emerged I was feeling more like a human, and went to see about my pressing caffeine need. As I stepped into the main sitting area of the suite to find a cup of coffee, I noticed that Amelia was up and stretching in workout clothes. "Tell me you aren't going to go exercise?" Was she nuts? Who works out when they are on vacation- Let me tell you that Sookie Stackhouse sure as hell does _not!_

"Nope, I'm not." I exhaled as she finished, "I already went! Running on the beach is the best way to recover from a hangover. You should've come with me- but you girls were O-U-T when I left."

I snorted at her suggestion; I really am more of the tan on the beach kind than the train on the beach type of girl. We wandered out on the patio with our cups in hand. "Wow. It really is beautiful here. Thanks again for getting me outta Louisiana. I didn't realize just how bad I needed this."

"We all needed it, I think," Amelia stated. We stared out at the ocean in silence for a while, just enjoying the morning.

Something was tugging at the back of my brain that I had wondered about for a long time, so I broke the silence. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"What's up?"

"Um, this may sound a little weird, but after seeing what you were capable of last night in the witch department, I just have to know. But you don't have to answer if you don't want to…" I amended.

"Okay, Sook. Ask your question- you're starting to freak me out," Amelia said guardedly.

I was kind of regretting going down this line of questioning, but having already started said tentatively, "_Girl, what were you and Bob trying to do that night you turned him into a cat??"_

Amelia blushed scarlet, hesitating, and looking down at the cup in her hands and wrinkling her nose up a little. "He wasn't supposed to turn into a cat…"

"Of course." I wondered if that was all she was going to say on the subject.

"Oh, this is so embarrassing," she continued, and my interest perked back up again at the confusing pictures flashing by in her brain. "I, uh, was trying to give him some qualities of a lion… but it came out cat. All cat." Her voice trailed away.

Well that wasn't what I expected.

"The thing is- I knew Quinn was a tiger," she peered up at me, waiting for a reaction. When she didn't get one she continued, "See, the whole time I was with Bob, I kept imagining what it would be like to be with Quinn and have a _rough, firm_ tongue like that lapping away on my, umm," She cut herself off, breathing heavily. "Too much information?"

My eyes were the size of saucers as she continued, "Anyway, it wasn't like Bob was lacking in the man-bits department, I just thought, you know…maybe… whatever. It obviously didn't work out the way I'd imagined." She had the most peculiar mix of emotions playing tug of war across her face. I saw embarrassment, regret, anxiety and shame seasoned by a dash of pride. Mostly, it was embarrassment though.

"Do you hate me for having dirty thoughts about your ex?"

I wasn't sure how I felt, but hey- I'd asked. "Ah…"

We heard a screeching sound, and I will be forever grateful for the distraction from our conversation. "What is that racket?" We got up to go back into the room, and the awful howling picked up in tempo, like a chorus of dying cats all vying for a solo.

With twin expressions of disbelief Amelia and I looked at each other. "Oh, for the love- _Claudine_?" I nodded. Claudine was singing, I guess you could call it that- if you had to label it as something- in the shower at the top of her lungs. "I thought fairies were supposed to sound like angels or something?"

"I'll have to give Heaven a rain-check if their Holy Chorus sounds anything like that!" We dissolved into a fit of giggles on the couch after that and settled in to listen in as Claudine trilled into a resounding crescendo at the climax of the 'song.' At one point, the concierge even called our room to see if we would like to make other arrangements for our _howler monkey, _as the hotel guests were complaining in record numbers. Tears streamed down my face as I assured the concierge that we would put a ball-gag over our monkey's mouth to guarantee its silence for the rest of our stay.

***

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, Amelia and Claudine decided they wanted to go hit the shopping scene, and being one who is always conscious of my expenses, I opted out in favor of spending a little time laid out on a luxurious lounge chair by the pool with a new romance novel. I greased up with yummy-smelling body oil and lost myself completely in the adventures of a rubenesque (_Not_ a Word of the Day- actually Harlequin novel, 2006) tornado-chaser and her well-hung, yet hesitant life insurance agent.

Now this was heaven, I thought as I turned on my front having baked my back and sides to perfection. I sighed in pleasure and untied my bikini top so I wouldn't have any conspicuous lines on my skin as I settled into a comfy position and considered getting up to grab a soda.

"Pardon me, Miss," A voice interrupted my rumination. I turned my head, blocking out the sun's glare as I peered up. "I am Tanning Butler here at the Ritz. May I assist you?" He asked, very self-importantly. I had never heard of a Tanning Butler before… it was actually kind of funny.

"You want to slick me up?" I asked bluntly. "This is your job?" He nodded proudly. _What the hell,_ I thought. "Oil me up, Scotty!" I waited expectantly, but he didn't get the reference.

"Actually my name is Jean-Paul. Would you like me to start with your back?" I murmured assent, and he deftly massaged the tanning oil into my skin, working his way down my legs and finishing with the tips of my toes. It felt amazing, and though he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box when it came to pop-culture references, he certainly was handsome. If I hadn't felt a, _I am __**so**__ not into ladies_ vibe pulsating in lime green and teal from his brain like a disco ball, I might have been _very_ aroused by the physical contact. I handed him a tip (Are you even supposed to tip for that?) and asked if he could have someone grab me a coke as he walked off. Jean-Paul relayed my drink order to a cocktail server and looked much more cheerful as he set his sights on a hairless piece of Euro man-candy in a very pequeño banana hammock a few lounge chairs down. I mentally conceded, _You can't win 'em all._

_***_

"Wake!" Claudine cried. I shrieked and pulled myself up into a sitting position, completely forgetting that my bikini was untied and I was exposing 'the girls' to the universe.

"Damn it, Claudine! What the hell is wrong with you?" I was completely caught off guard and as pissed as one of my drunks on snooker night as I grasped at the strings furiously. Unfortunately, I was too late and a gaggle of barely legal-looking boys ogled me.

_Whoa… Scha-wiiiiiing!_

_Oh my God! My first boobs! They __**told**__ me Miami would be awesome!!_

_Look at those knockers… I'd so totally hit that!_

They all were congratulating each other with high fives on a tit well spotted as I gave them a glare they could fry an egg on. "Oops, sorry," said Claudine as Amelia elbowed her in the ribs.

She appeared thoroughly chastened, and the twins were secured, so I asked, "Where's the fire girls?"

"Sook- we have a date! Or did you forget?" I just stared at Amelia as she moved on, "You forgot! We are meeting with the sizzling hot Fernandez brothers and their friends for some adventure. Were you that wasted last night?"

"Shit, I thought I was imagining that. You guys, we hardly know these guys' last names, let alone anything about them. I mean, he's good eye-candy, but, well I just don't know…"

"Tell me this isn't about the Viking?" Claudine perched next to me, the wind whipping her dark locks around her face. "Come on, live a little! Good, clean-"

"Not if I can help it!" Amelia interjected.

"Good, clean fun will be just what the Hobbit doctor ordered… If she were here right now. Not that I'd recommend seeing her in a bathing suit. Ugh… We had a wild summer a few years back, and let me just say that Dr. Ludwig is primitive in the sack, but she is no Botticelli's Venus by any means!"

I contemplated the visual as the Fairy and the witch dragged me toward the beach. I caught sight of something amazing going on out in the water. Four bodies whipped around the ocean in a feat of strength and grace. They raced on the water, then lifted above the ocean, some doing spins and flips before landing serenely down again on the foam. They were attached with boards at their feet and beautifully patterned kites tethering them to the sky. We had stopped in our tracks, transfixed on the scene playing out. "Wow," I mouthed.

One of the daredevils had caught my attention over the others. His skin gleamed in the reflection of the water, and strong arms guided the kite with a surgeon's precision. He took to the air, clearly doubling the height of his compatriots. _Adrian,_ I distinguished lustfully. "And that, my friend is why we accepted their offer," Amelia gloated. "Felix is mine!" She yelled over her shoulder as she raced out into the surf waving her hand emphatically to call his attention to her and her purple push-up bikini.

Felix whistled at the others, and they started paddling back to shore. Claudine rearranged her assets that were cloaked in a black one-piece, that I must say was a bit conservative compared to what I was used to with Claudine. She shrugged and said, "Oh well, I will entertain the friend Ethan and the soon to be betrothed Austin. That Ethan has a bottom that should have its own copyright!" She stepped forward, and then the bathing suit made sense. It was backless and just a centimeter of the top of her ass stuck out before the back of the suit dissolved into what can really only be described as a piece of fabric the approximate size and shape of a slice of pizza. A personal pan pizza. Maybe smaller. I grimaced and followed after her.

"Hello cute boys!" Claudine chirped and the two boys unspoken for (yes, Austin was included!) looked like they had been clubbed over the head.

_What is she…? She is perfection! Wish I wasn't wearing these shorts right now…. _

_Oh, Lily is gonna kill me if she finds out we met girls… S'posed to be guys only…. Am I allowed one final conquest on my bachelor party???_

"Sookie! I am so glad you came- I was starting to wonder if you'd ditched us," Adrian made his way toward me, unharnessing himself and depositing his equipment carelessly in a heap on the sand. I felt my pulse speed as I imagined him just getting to it and taking everything else off of his body. I envisioned Adrian closing the gap between us, his naked body soaking and yearning for me. He would take me roughly down into the chafing sand, but I wouldn't even notice because as soon as he spread my legs and pushed my bikini bottom to the side… Did I mention it's been a while since my sexual needs have been fully sated?

"Sookie?" Adrian was shaking my shoulder, "Sookie, are you in there?" Oh crap, how long has he been trying to get my attention? I could feel a blush spreading from deep within my chest.

"Sorry, just ah, had something on my mind. Yeah, no we weren't trying to ditch you, just lost track of time. No worries. So, what's the plan?"

That's how we all ended up speeding across the Atlantic on jet skis and on a speed boat that raised us high above the water 'pear-sailing' as Claudine called it.

When I took my turn parasailing, I had to wonder if this was how Eric felt when he flew at full speed, then with some effort, pushed him out of my thoughts.

When I stepped onto the wave runner I jolted because I had never felt such speed before- and the power of the jet-ski between my thighs and Adrian straddling my hips behind me (try getting a vampire to let you drive!) made for some very interesting vibrations and an incredible sexual charge where our bodies touched.

***

After the thrilling events of the day, we decided to grab dinner on the beach at our hotel. "You have to try the mojtos or caipirinhas here, they are amazing," Adrian suggested to us as we perused the menu.

"Mmm! Good idea," Amelia seconded, and though for all I knew, they had just ordered hot dog flavored buttermilk, I pretended I knew what the hell they were talking about and ordered a mojito ('cause it was easier to say) for myself.

"A round for the table!" Felix decided and the baby-faced waiter shuffled off.

"So, we just spent the entire day with you, but I have to say I know nothing about you. Where are you staying? Where are you from?" Amelia asked the collective group of males at the table, but focused her attention on Felix. That Amelia, always one to break the ice daintily. "Who are the brothers Fernandez?"

"Oh, we have a house here in the Keys and a couple of other places, but we grew up north of Houston in a place called The Woodlands. We are all from that area and we still have a ranch there. But my brother and I especially like to wander." Felix finished with a grin.

Austin smirked and said, "Well, two of you ladies have a twang that's familiar- so you are obviously Southern Belles, too." I nodded. "But Claudine here doesn't have a similar cadence in her voice. Where were you raised?"

I tried to disguise my peal of manic laughter with a cough into my napkin and Claudine gave me a look from across the table that was not missed by Adrian before she replied, "I have Irish ancestry," not really answering his question.

"You know," Ethan quipped, "Ever since the vampires came out, that question takes on a whole different meaning."

"These guys here all think there is a whole lot more out there than the vampires, but I am not so sure myself," Adrian explained. "I mean, why wouldn't they have shown that they exist if they did-?" The innocent and unsoiled feelings exuding from this man took me aback, and I felt the questions I wanted to ask him pile up in my mind. They would have to wait.

The server had returned with our drinks and to get our order. As he set the glasses down I blurted out, "Claudine! Can you drink this?" I pointed to the limes muddled and garnishing the drink.

"There is a world of difference between a lemon and a lime," she assured me. "Allergy," she said pointedly to the group.

"Hmm…" Pondered Felix as he looked up dazedly from where Amelia was busy bewitching him with her eyes and whispered words. The ideas coming from that girl made my earlier fantasies look amateur.

"Don't worry," Adrian breathed into my ear, "He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I am more worried about what she'll do to him..." I joked, only half-kidding. As I turned to face him, he put a hand on my thigh and I felt arousal fill me up completely, then gather close to where the tips of his long fingers gripped. _Only a few more inches_… my body begged with a mind of its own.

_You are a civilized woman! Get yourself together! _But my mind was losing the skirmish.

"Take a walk with me on the beach after we eat?" His eyes were imploring, but I could tell he was using all his strength to restrain himself.

_I am out of town this weekend for my b-day, but if I get generous reviews __**maybe **__I will post again before I leave! Thanks for reading. -SJ_


	9. Chapter 9

_I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me. I really just enjoy her characters!_

_Thanks for your patience with me. I guess I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take for me to get everything done last week. Thanks for the birthday wishes- you all are the best! Now, for a little somethin' maybe you've been waiting for……??_

**Chapter 9**

"Take a walk with me on the beach after we eat?" His eyes were imploring, but I could tell he was using all his strength to restrain himself.

I stared down at the fingers gripping my thigh and my breath caught in my lungs. I hesitated, as a picture of Eric flashed across my mind, then thought _He doesn't care about me… he never did._ Who knew what the truth was? I looked up into Adrian's gaze, predatory yet earnest, and decided. I reached over to his free hand, took it gingerly, and bit my lip as I placed it on my other thigh, covering it with my own hand. I looked back up at Adrian, who was the picture of shocked surprise. I nodded a simple response to his proposition and cocked an eyebrow at him as I waited expectantly to hear his reaction verbalized.

Adrian was thinking that he had never met a girl like me before- that he never knew what to expect from me, and he was about to say so in this private moment when a throat cleared really loudly. We both ripped our gazes from each other's eyes as Austin said, "Are you two gonna order or will you just be having dessert?"

Embarrassment colored my face- I had gotten completely lost in the moment, and I could only imagine what they were thinking (Actually I could know if I wanted to, but at the moment I had no desire to find out that Adrian's friends thought I was a skank.) _ "Sexual tension!"_ Amelia sang as Felix chimed in, _"Awkward!!"_ They grinned at each other.

"Man, y'all are making it hard for me to think about getting married," Austin looked annoyed. "I'm gonna go call my fiancée!" Austin stood up and stomped out of the restaurant without another word.

Adrian smirked, "Lily, his fiancée, is in Vegas, and knowing Lily, she is probably getting into way more trouble than Austin could ever even imagine."

"Yeah, Lily _is _trouble," Ethan said. "I have no idea how those two ended up together."

"Sometimes things that don't make logical sense work out better than anything else," Adrian stated. Well, if there was anyone in the world who could understand that, I was probably the girl. I leaned back and wondered about this Lily, sipping my mojito, and tried to imagine what she looked like.

We ordered our meals and as we ate, at Amelia's urging, the boys told us a little more about themselves. It turned out that Adrian was a writer who traveled the world learning about little known cultures and tribal practices. His work allowed him to see places I had only dreamed of visiting- and a lot of places I had never even heard of. Ethan and Austin had a company that specialized in importing and exporting that they had started right out of college. It had been successful beyond anything they could have ever imagined. Felix, it seemed, really was the wanderer he confessed himself to be earlier in the evening. He hopped from family property to family property around the country, buying and then flipping houses for a profit- even though it seemed like the brothers didn't need to work if they didn't want to, which I stated rather bluntly.

"Well, we grew up taken care of. But it was just _stuff_," Adrian dismissed his family's wealth with a wave of his hand. "I really love the work I do- I get to meet the most interesting people," I chuckled at the idea of the Fernandez brothers being just _taken care of_. I sighed a little thinking of the work I was missing at this very moment, and how they had probably never worried about cash a day in their lives.

Amelia was thinking that Adrian and Felix must have grown up a lot like she had, and she was intrigued by Felix's nomadic lifestyle. "What do Mommy and Daddy think about their little boy not settling down? You must be what, thirty now?"

Felix's face clouded up and I felt the mood at the table gather into what felt almost like a palpable electric charge. I glanced around and noticed that while Adrian's mood had also grown somber, his eyes expressed only pain. Adrian gave Felix a tight shake of the head, and Felix stared Adrian down for a full ten seconds, before Felix conceded with a tight grin (Is that what I look like when I do it?). "Our father passed away a few years ago. And our _mother,"_ his voice had turned hard and caught on the word, so Adrian finished,

"She left when we were little. We don't remember her that well."

"I wasn't that little," Felix amended, an eyebrow raised. Adrian puffed his cheeks out, and Felix winked at the table. "Actually, I'm thirty-two, and baby brother here is the one who is about to hit the big 3-0," Felix seemed a bit more relaxed as he looked down at Amelia, who looked relieved that any friction had been squashed.

Claudine who had been remarkably quiet all this time, just enjoying her food asked Adrian, "Any other perks to the job?"

His face lit up like a birthday cake, and he said, "Oh, yeah- I mean aside from all the other stuff- "

"Adrian's an endorphin junkie!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Endorphin junkie?" I asked feeling a little confused.

Adrian sneered at Ethan, "Yeah, I guess I couldn't have finished my own sentence man. Thanks." Ethan looked chastened as he continued, "My favorite thing to do is pretty much anything that will give me an adrenaline rush." His friends were nodding in agreement. "Actually, we're all pretty into it. I mean, as _thrilling_ as Houston is, growing up I've always loved a good adventure."

I was interested, but a little nervous about this new development. "What exactly are we talking about here in the thrill-seeker department?" I consider myself a thrill-seeker in the bedroom, but that's really the extent of my desire to put myself in danger, even though I _have_ been in some messed-up situations.

"Yeah, what have you done??" Claudine wondered.

"Well, of course I have done all the typical stuff- we all have- like sky-diving, bungee-jumping, riding luges in the Alps, base-jumping, gator wrangling and things like that. But I really prefer the more exotic adventures…"

I pressed my palm into my forehead, not really sure if I wanted him to go on, but couldn't help blurting out the question on my tongue. "Such as?"

"I can't tell you all of my secrets, now can I?" he teased me in a way that made me want to know everything about this man. I mean, how could a guy who seemed so open and unassuming about the world really do the job that he does and participate in activities like these? My heart pounded uneasily as I imagined some of the more exotic adventures he had partaken in… I was tempted to release my shields and sneak a peak, but it just didn't seem fair. I have my secrets, too.

"You said you have a house in the Keys, right?" Amelia asked as Adrian nodded. "That seems like quite the trip, especially at this time of night- you're not going back there tonight are you?"

"Well, I have a boat here, but no we aren't going back tonight. We are doing it sort of half and half. We have to be back in the Keys tomorrow. Tonight, we're staying at the Ritz." Amelia was practically beaming, and I thought, _Way to play it cool, sister, _chuckling.

Before I knew it, the meal was over, and Amelia and Claudine were talking to Ethan and Felix about a bar they had heard about. I caught Claudine's eye and nodded at Adrian then at the door, and she gave me a tiny smile, nodding.

As I turned to Adrian to see if we were still on for our walk, he was already at my side, his mouth centimeters from my ear as he breathed, "You ready?" A surge of lust rushed between my legs and I had to talk myself out of tackling him right then and there.

"Mmm, hmm," I said as he took my hand hesitantly and led me to the beach. I had really been hoping that the beach would be like one of those beaches in my romance novels; completely deserted and perfect for some passion, but to my chagrin there were still tons of people walking the beach and even a couple of beach patrol officers were out keeping an eye on some drunks stumbling across the sand. _Damn_.

Adrian was slowing as we approached the edge of the water. "Are you an adventure-seeker Sookie Stackhouse?" I hesitated, wondering if his idea and my idea of adventure constituted the same things.

"Depends," I said, not wanting to get myself into a predicament I couldn't get out of.

"How about an easy one? You ever been swimming in the ocean at night with an almost virtual stranger?"

I grinned as I remembered his body in just swimming shorts. Wait, _swimming trunks_- "I changed out of my bikini earlier. I don't have a bathing suit."

Adrian flashed me a grin that was the spitting image of an Eric-style leer, "Therein lays the adventure!" _Wow, this guy is something else…. Am I really contemplating this?_ "Beat you to the water!" he shouted, ripping off his shirt and kicking his shoes onto the sand.

I glanced back at where the beach cops had been to see that they were having a heated discussion with the drunks. I heard all of the reasons not to do it race through my brain; my grandmother's shame, Eric's fury, society's condemnation, and said, "Fuck it," and started running into the water, pulling off articles of clothing as I ran. When I got to water deep enough to kneel in I ducked down and pulled of my bra and panties, throwing them towards the sand. I felt like a bad girl, yet I was freer than I had been in years. When I caught up to Adrian he was standing at a modest depth, and my nipples were obscured by water that looked almost black in the light of the nearly full moon. My cleavage shone in the moonlight, and Adrian stood transfixed, staring at me hungrily.

Normally, if I were anywhere else in the world, this would probably have been the time I would have stopped to make apologies; to say I really never do this, or something along those lines. But tonight, I felt no need for excuses and stepped closer to Adrian.

"You are beautiful in the moonlight," Adrian stated.

"That's what most of my boyfriends say," I joked, but not really kidding, trying to break sexual tension so tight I could have strummed it like a guitar.

Adrian looked surprised, but before he could say anything I filled the space remaining between us, tilting my lips to his. Adrian recognized my unspoken request, and moved quickly to answer me with his lips. His mouth was hungry for mine and he devoured me with an assurance that belied his human status. He sampled my lips and tongue with his tongue, and he kissed me like he knew my body intimately already. Like he knew that our bodies belonged together, that his body was designed specifically and only for my body.

"Beautiful woman," he whispered when his lips had a taken a second's rest. His hands had wrapped of their own accord around my back, and he slowly unwound them to trail his palms up my forearms and onto my upper arms. The moisture on our bodies made the journey take more time than usual and his eyes opened to look at me directly. I didn't want to but I loosened my grip on his strong back. He repeated himself, "Beautiful woman. There is something about you that I can't resist. There is no one like you in the world, I just know it."

His eyes held nothing but truth, and I couldn't help it- he was looking so serious as I raised my brows, cocking my head at him coyly. "Surely someone like you has to fight the ladies off with a machete…" I said, backing away slowly towards shallower water until I could stand up straight. Adrian's eyes widened in an almost primal lust as I raised out of the water, giving him a frontal view of my breasts, glistening in the cool salt water that ensured my nipples were hard. I gave him a _come hither_ look and Adrian began to make his way to me.

Unfortunately for us, that was precisely the moment that the beach patrol noticed what appeared to be two naked people frolicking in the water, and hit us with the brightest spotlight in production from a little way down the beach.

Over a speaker a voice hollered, "You two right there, exit the water immediately!"

"Oh, Shit!" I cried, ducking down and covering myself with ocean. I looked at Adrian who looked just as surprised as I did. "What do we do?"

"How fast can you run?"

"Fast," I answered.

"You leave anything on the beach?"

Well, my clothes, _duh_, but I figured he was asking about identifying documents. "Just a purse right by the water's edge."

"Ok, I'll get it. Let's go!" he nodded in the direction of our hotel. At that we started racing toward the shore, the cops coming from the other direction. As our feet pounded into the sand, I watched Adrian reach down in full stride and snatch up my purse.

The cops were still a ways back, but were slowly filling the gap between us, as running through water has a tendency to slow one down. _Oh, my God! Am I going to get arrested completely naked??? That's something Jason would do, not me, for Heaven's sake!_

Adrian grabbed my hand as we sped up to get some distance from the cops and we ran, passing tourists and appreciative (and cheering!) beach walkers as we veered back to the hotel. _I am as naked as a jaybird,_ I thought, but surprisingly I didn't mind as much as I thought I would.

Finally, when it looked like the cops were giving up on the chase we passed some beach chairs with a single forgotten towel still strewn on top, and Adrian scooped it up and handed it to me. I took it thankfully as we slowed slightly, and wrapped it around myself. "But what about you?" I was a bit hesitant as we were about to approach the hotel's beach bar. I had a thought, and raced to the nearest table where a group of astonished-looking college girls were relaxing and pointed at one of the girl's rolled up silverware, "Are you using this?"

She shook her head, agape, as I took the setting, grabbed the oversized cloth napkin wrapped around the silver, and dropped the fork, knife, and spoon onto the table. "Thanks ladies, I owe you!" I said as I ran back to Adrian, who was acquiring quite the little audience around him. "Use this," I pushed the napkin into his hand, and he chuckled as he realized it only covered him in the front. "It was the best I could do!" I chided him, laughing at the same time.

"Works for me, beautiful. Now, can we get out of here?" We passed the bar patrons who were none too eager to see us leave, and back through the lobby. The concierge almost had a heart attack as a naked woman clothed in a towel and a naked man covered (sort-of) in a single napkin wandered through the swanky setting.

As we stepped into the elevator, we collapsed into hysterics, "Now, that is what I call an adventure!"

"I can't believe we didn't get arrested!" I said.

"Do you have your room key?" Adrian asked. "I mean, not 'cause I think I should go to your room or anything… It's just that I left my key with Felix earlier, and knowing Felix, they are nowhere near finished for the night…I guess I can stand outside my room in a napkin until they come back…"

"It's okay. You can come in," I assured him with a laugh. I felt him breathe a sigh of relief as I slid the key card in the door and unlocked our room. "Let me get you something a little bigger," I said and he smiled, turning in a circle, allowing me to inspect his bare backside. And, oh how I love a nice ass on a man. His was beautiful- it could have possibly given Eric's ass a run for its money. Firm, round, and tanned to a bronzed perfection. But what was even more interesting to me, and believe me when I say that his ass was interesting enough to look at all day, were his thighs. They were thick like tree trunks and muscled in a way that was so perfect that I had to pinch my arm to force myself to remember that I was supposed to be doing something. But, if that is what his backside looked like, I could only imagine how the front would be….

I closed my eyes and tilted my head up to the ceiling, counting to fifteen. "Towels, right? That is what we need, right?" I said, turning my back on a grinning Adrian and stepped into the first bathroom to emerge with another, larger towel. I handed it to him, and he covered my hand in his.

Before I knew it, we were right where we left off in the water. I felt the towel in our mutual hands fall to the floor. He leaned in, cupping my towel-clad butt under his grip. He was frantically kissing me, and I pulled at his still wet hair, trying to mold his body against mine. He lifted me off the ground, and I felt my stolen towel fall off of breasts and rest around my waist. As I glanced down at my towel, I realized his napkin had never stood a chance and was nowhere to be seen from my vantage point. And, wow, he was as blessed anatomically as he seemed to be everywhere else. Before I knew it, I was pressed against the wall, and my long suffering body was screaming out for his.

His gravelly breathing was the only sound for a long while as he held me by my ass up against the wall and we tasted each other, lips, tongues, necks, ears. He set me down roughly, and my head rolled back as he kissed down my front, kneeling before me to inspect my breasts. He peered up at me, "They are astonishing," he stated as fact. As he tongued a nipple with excruciating slowness into his mouth, I shouted out in pure ecstasy. I raised my arms above my head, reveling in the beauty of sex to come, feeling a growing burning in my soul. Like someone had lit a fire and was intent upon adding kindling until it became a bonfire. It was raw, it was purifying… It was painful?

No, it was more than that, it was _agonizing._

I drew in an audible gasp of alarm, and Adrian released my breast from his mouth and stood up, apprehensive. "Goddamn it! Not now!" I howled, the tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. I didn't know if I was furious or just shocked.

"What's wrong?" Adrian asked, with worry etched into his deep brown eyes. "We don't have to do this tonight! I am sorry if I pushed you further than you wanted to go. I am so sorry Sookie." I shook my head at him; the pain scorching my chest was torture. "Give me a minute," I said and raced for the bathroom. I splashed freezing cold water all over myself muttering, "No, no, no, no. Don't do this to me, Eric." I gripped the sides of the sink to hold my body vertical, but the pain was just too much to stand.

The last thing I remember was the feeling of absolute certainty that Eric was coming to Miami, and then the crack that sounded when I collapsed and my head made contact with imported marble.


	10. Chapter 10

_**I am not Charlaine Harris. I am by no means trying to impose upon any copyright or infringement laws. Charlaine Harris' characters are her own, and I am just playing with them. Please don't sue me. I really just enjoy her characters!**_

_Eric and I spent a lot of time fighting this week. I wanted to use a Princess and the Pea reference in his POV, but he would not allow it- something about thousand year old vampires don't read fairy tales, blah, blah, blah. Man, he's infuriating. I hope you like this ridiculously long chapter._

**Chapter 10**

Have you ever suddenly looked up and wondered how you got yourself into a really shitty situation? Well I haven't, and I certainly wasn't about to start today. I knew exactly why I was standing in the child's toy department of some generic Walmart at one a.m. It was because I was staring at the hole I had just made in the wall with a giant remote-control toy Cadillac Escalade.

And I _certainly_ know why I continued down the aisle ripping bicycles out of their corrals and turning their steel to dust under my fingers. I _absolutely_ know why I proceeded to tear down aisle after aisle in this rinky-dink store in this God-forsaken town. _Sound the alarm_, I thought to myself as the few late-night shoppers hit the decks all around me, trying to escape my retail wrath. _I have burned cities to the ground- you humans ought to bow to me for my thoughtfulness!_ These were the first coherent thoughts I had had in the last five minutes. I supposed it was a good thing that I was finally thinking straight, but in the moment I clearly did not give one flying (or _walking_ or _crawling_ or _swimming_) fuck. I gave a manic laugh at the lunacy of the situation.

I had not rested soundly today. No, that was not why I ended up destroying a little bit of Americana; this is merely a symptom, not the cause. She had plagued my thoughts. It had begun the night before, after I had felt what I thought to be Her loss. I had opened myself up, allowing Her feelings to permeate the raw and ragged contours of my soul. It had been like living in an air conditioned room for many years and then finally stepping outside to feel wind against skin.

I was enjoying very much the hints I received from Her as I lay in rest. I found it much easier to find Her in our bond while I rested, however I suppose you could say I woke on the wrong side of the coffin. First it was joy, anticipation, and exhilaration that I felt. I sucked these emotions in greedily. As the sun sank in the sky the moods melted into a feeling I despise in Her, when it is not triggered my me. Unadulterated lust seeped into my body through our connection.

When I was finally able to rise, the depth of the connection was severed. Can you imagine how infuriating that would be? I had turned on every light in our bond, opened every door and window, thrown my soul in Her direction to try to open the bond back up. Shit, I even laid back down in my 'bed' to see if I could force slumber upon myself. But to no avail, as time-wasting has never been one of my strong-suits. Then I thought, _All this for the services of a telepath? Am I losing my mind? _

So I got in my car. I tried to lose myself in the anonymity of the concrete, somewhere between the painted lines. I tried to close my side- I would not be a useless, wretched creature to be pitied.

But somehow traces of Her state poked through my resolve. I crushed the steering wheel as I felt the desire grow. Lust like that was reserved for me. "Mother fucker," I spat out, "What is the purpose of life if I am not _living_? She is _mine_."

Somehow I had arrived at this stupid Walmart as if that had been where I was heading all along, and I went in to pace the aisles, thinking of my next move. This couldn't continue. I was neglecting my businesses, I really needed to eat something (someone?), and this was perhaps as human as I had ever felt. I tensed thinking of the position I would be in if someone in De Castro's regime saw what I had become these past few days.

I was wandering past the garden center (like I would ever water anything!) and through the toy section of the store when the tremors rocked me. "What the fuck?" I growled. Two teenagers screwing around on a toy scooter had heard me and peered around to where I was lurking, the internal vibration holding me in place.

The bolder of the two oily-skinned, greasy headed youths said, "Hey Michael Bolton circa 1991! Do you need a little Time, Love, or perhaps some Tenderness to get your pale ass out of our way here?"

Something on my face must have told his companion I was not in the mood for games as he started yanking on his buddy's sleeve, urging him in the opposite direction. I felt my fangs slip properly into their place as I forced myself not to murder these children. I bared my fangs, hissing, "Guess how much I care whether you live or die?" I paused looking at each baby directly in his muddy eyes. "Guess how long it would take me to drain you?"

I watched as they tripped over themselves racing toward the exit, the scent of released bowels tainting my nostrils. _Michael Bolton?_ I didn't even have a full second to enjoy the fruits of my labor before I felt it again. _Damn it, Sookie. Don't you do this, Sookie Stackhouse!_

But I couldn't stop it. I was feeling her lust as though it were mine. I felt the ache of her body, the frustration, the hunger, the eager taunt of her body to his. The bond then completely transformed into something I have never heard of, and I was peering through her eyes as I stood holding the walls of this pedestrian general store. I was in a hotel room. That much I could tell as I looked around through her eyes. I, well She was being devoured, in a rather monotonous and uninteresting style I gathered, with kisses over her neck and mouth. We looked down, and I noticed that her towel had fallen around her hips, exposing Her-no _My_ breasts to this asshole. Who- _What the fuck? _- was naked too. And she was pleased at his state of undress. _Really? Has she already forgotten the construction and rigidity of my cock? Is she really impressed by this, this Picasso's rendering of a penis?? _ He had her off the ground, and I felt her disappointment as he rather coarsely placed her back on the floor.

I felt the heat rising in my body, and I had no desire to dampen the flames.

I watched through her eyes as she rolled her head back, staring at nothing in particular as he kissed down her chest settling on one of her, no My breasts. She was positively fucking gleeful as she shouted out, and then raised her arms up, losing herself in the sex to come. She had no idea I was with her. I think that is what really set me over the edge. I was in the room with her, looking out from her like a cat under a bed, in mind-blowing agony, and she didn't _feel_ me?

The savage part of me was taking over, and I knew of one sure-fire way to make her understand just how unacceptable this behavior was to me. If I could feel her most primitive emotions, then surely she would feel mine.

I let go. I let go of the self-contained constraints I had placed upon myself since the Revelation as I dealt the first blow to a toy remote-controlled car and the wall nearest to it. I felt the loathing I carried toward myself disintegrate as I crushed child's cycles and other newer locomotive toys with my fingers. I felt the fury at my curse and burden, yet my pride otherwise, topple as I contorted aisle after shopping aisle and the God-fearing humans leapt for cover. _I hope you feel this, Sookie Stackhouse_. I sent her the frustration and humiliation of being bonded to a human I could not control, yet who I would not give up.

_I hope you can carry the weight of my world. _

I felt better than I had in months as I wandered out of the store, grabbing a case of Trueblood on my way out. What's a stolen 12-pack when you've just destroyed an entire store? And sure, my clothes were a tad dusty and my shoes were scuffed, but I had come to a resolution. And may I ask you- What's better than a resolution?

I hopped into my car and drove it a few miles down the road, depositing it in a place I knew only I could locate. I had calculated from their units to ours as I had driven. Could I make it before sunrise? Did I dare? Well of course I dared, I am fucking Eric Northman. So I left my car, took to sky and flew.

The next time I saw Sookie Stackhouse, we would either make our bond a permanent and life-altering constriction, or we would close our bond completely and irrevocably. I have bent to her will for far too long, now it is time she felt mine.

***

The first time I woke, I didn't think I'd be able to see clearly ever again. The pain emitting from the back of my head felt like someone had taken an old rusty saw to my brain and was just hacking away at the gray matter within. I felt strong, muscular thighs propping me up in an incline and I struggled to recognize the face hovering above me. I squeezed my eyes shut, and could feel dried tear stains over the skin of my cheeks. _Oh! What happened?_

It was then that I put together the events of the night, and put the thighs to a name. "Adrian," I rasped. He had somehow gotten some ice and was trying to numb out my aching brain.

I guess I lost consciousness then, because when I woke again the sun was on the horizon and a long arm and leg had me locked firmly in place. I tried to sit up abruptly to assess the situation but dizziness took over and I fell back down. Shouldn't he be burning up in the sunlight? A brown hand intertwined with mine- wait- a brown _sun-kissed_ hand.

Where was he? I thought he was coming? I caught my breath, didn't know how to feel. "Oh, hi."

I tried to turn my head to look at him, but the pain was intense. "Whoa, there cowgirl. You got quite the concussion last night, and I don't think you should try that quite yet."

"Mmm hmm," I conceded, laying back down on the pillow, and closing my eyes to the glare of morning. "Wait a minute! What happened last night? And where are Amelia and Claudine- we _are_ in my room aren't we?" I squinted out from tight lids to take in the hotel room where I had slept.

"Well, your friend Amelia and my dear brother uh, _slept_ _soundly_ in the room I've been sharing with him upstairs," his voice was laced with good humor and as I took him into focus his eyes sparkled down at me. And did he ever sparkle in the morning… his naturally wavy hair was perfectly unkempt and he was wearing a pair of white boxer-briefs that made his skin look like bronzed honey. He looked like the first sight of land to someone who had been drifting at sea for days. But strangely, I felt an ache inside of me when I looked at him. Just a sadness I didn't know what to name.

"They must have had a good time," I said to fill in a response. The pain in my head made it hard for me to block out his thoughts. He was remembering running upstairs to grab some clothes and the scene he'd walked in on when he pushed open the door that had been slightly ajar. Apparently Amelia was just as into aerobics in her sex life as she was in her daily life. Adrian shuddered a bit as thoughts flashed across his mind detailing Amelia in what can only be called the 'wheel-barrow' position buck-naked with his brother seemingly intent upon bringing a very full wheel-barrow right up to his hedges….

I couldn't stifle my own shudder, and Adrian's head jerked my way. I gave him a perfectly innocent look. "Claudine is asleep in the other room, I assume?" I asked.

Adrian nodded, and his face tensed up as I heard what was coming before he said it. "Sookie, I need to know what happened last night between the two of us. Look, I know you are gonna think that I am playing you a bullshit card when I say this, but it's really not my style to have one-night stands with girls… and I think if you gave me a chance you could see that I'm a pretty decent guy. I like you… I don't want this to end when our trips are over. But the thing is-"

I interrupted him, "Well, you know we didn't actually have a one-night stand. Unless of course you had sex with me while I was unconscious!" I grinned at him and then pulled the duvet up and looked down at myself. And hey, I was wearing pajamas! "Nope it doesn't look like you did! Who dressed- "

"Not funny Ms. Stackhouse. Way to deflect the conversation." I swallowed because I knew what he wanted to ask. Fine. No getting around it. "I want to know who you are. You are the kind of girl I could really care for. But I have to know, who the hell is Eric?"

I squished my face up, trying to play the silly blonde card, "Well, I suppose it would depend which Eric you were asking about. I actually know quite a few Erics. There is the Eric who works at my dry cleaner's, there is the Eric who-"

"Sookie, cut it out. I think you know exactly who I'm talking about." He hesitated, almost unwilling to finish the sentence. "You were moaning his name all night long."

"It's complicated, Adrian," I said, stroking his arm gently as I tried to figure out what I wanted to tell him. "Really complicated. We were together for a while, sort-of, but last time I checked, he wasn't really the long-term commitment type…. And after all is said and done, he had his chance… I wasn't what he wanted… Look, I don't know." I felt my frustration levels rising. "It's just… complicated."

"Do you want me to kick his ass?" Adrian said.

I raised an eyebrow as I tried to imagine _that_ fight.

"Oh, big guy? Bigger than me? I get it." Adrian was only half-kidding and I could tell he was just trying to bring down my anxiety level.

I gave him a tiny smile as I wondered about Eric. Against my will I worried where he was. I felt our bond more strongly today, and my internal EPS (Eric Positioning System) told me that he was much closer to me than he had been, but that was all I could tell.

"But seeing as things with this Eric are so… complicated, would it be safe to assume that he is someone who has a presence in your life at the moment? Like," he smiled, "If I were to visit you after this is all over, would I be likely to run into him with you?"

"Believe me, you never know when or where he'll show up," I hinted.

"Hmm. Well then we should make the most our Eric-free time, shouldn't we?"Adrian was up off of his back and had gone onto his hands and knees over my body and was staring down at me with mischievous eyes.

"I think so," I said slowly thinking that I got hurt around this guy almost as much as I did around vampires and shifters.

He leaned down very slowly and gently, making sure not to jostle me or my aching skull. Then very carefully and with the force of a single butterfly, he kissed the bruise on my forehead, then kissed each of my eyebrows, my eyelids, my cheekbones, then moved over to kiss the tip of my nose, and finished with a brush of the lips on my chin. It was the single sweetest moment I had ever felt, and the tenderness that he breathed helped heal me in a way vampire blood never could.

"You missed my lips," I whispered after I had absorbed the panacea.

"I know." Adrian said. Moving on, "I was very worried about you last night." He sat back, resting on his knees over my hips, clearly waiting for an answer.

"I really don't know what happened," I lied, feeling like a wretched person for telling tales to this angel dressed in man's boxer-briefs. "I just remember all of a sudden feeling really sick to my stomach, and umm, I think a migraine came on too at the same time. It was probably food poisoning from that shrimp thing I ate last night… Who knows? It was probably the combination of all of those things…" Yeah, it was lame, but it was all I could come up with in my deteriorated state of mind.

"Food poisoning, huh? Weird, I didn't see you throw-up or anything… interesting." Adrian obviously knew I was bluffing, but he must have decided to let it go, and lay back down beside me, cradling my head in his armpit. As he ran his hand absently through my tangles, I relaxed knowing that the inquisition was over.

How beautiful a feeling to be liked and admired, not thought of as a crazy, simple barmaid or as an asset or as telepathic chattel (W.o.D. 11-20-08). I reveled, soaked in his touch. Did I want this to end? Do pigs like to photograph the Wonders of the World?

We lay in silence for a while until Claudine flounced into the room. "Is she finally awake?" She asked Adrian, as if I wasn't clearly giving her the stink-eye at that very moment.

"Ah, well I think our patient is going to live to fight another day," Adrian remarked, and I snorted at the irony of that statement.

Claudine tittered as well, and then said, "You know I am Sookie's fearless protector, do you not? I will be reprimanded for not being at her side when she suffered that strange bout of food poisoning that, from what I heard at the bar, is coming from poorly roasted seafood products."

Adrian looked flabbergasted as Claudine gave me a winning smile, looking like the fairy princess she was in child's sized daisy dukes and a sea-green bandeau top. I swear, no woman should be allowed to have abs like hers. It is really, very depressing for the rest of us.

"Adrian my friend, do you think you wouldn't mind very much checking on our companion Amelia for me? Last time I saw her, she and that nice brother of yours looked as though they might just fall off of the earth together and not return."

"Uh, yeah. You could call it that," Adrian said visions of gardening tools and bush storming through his head again against his will. I giggled. Adrian turned to me suspiciously, and I thought, _Oops! I have got to be better about that! _Claudine cleared her throat.

"Uh, Adrian?"

"Sorry, I just could have sworn… nevermind. I'll go and check on them." His tummy rumbled beside me, "I think I ought to get something to eat too."

"See you later?" I asked, not sure if that would be best for his health.

"Of course, we are headed back to Key Largo for the night a little later though. Felix apparently has something big lined up."

"Oh. Okay." I was a little disappointed, but I perched up as best I could out of the bed to hug him goodbye. As he shut the door behind him, Claudine leapt onto the bed beside me, knocking me sideways. "Shit! Head, fairy!" I groaned.

"Whoops, sorry, I will have to get you some pain meds for that. Soon. But right now, I command you to spill!"

As I relayed to her the events of the night, leaving out nothing for her sake, Claudine cracked up as I told her about our debauchery in the ocean, then her nostrils flared as I told her of the reaction Eric had felt when things got more serious between Adrian and I. Then I told her that I knew he was coming.

"Has he lost his ever-loving mind?" She was furious. "How dare he use the bond that way to inflict suffering upon you? That is a crime far worse than any sort philandering on your end! I don't think I will ever even begin to understand the beasts that live within the bodies of dead humans!"

"Claudine," I said, hesitating. "I don't think Eric or even Bill is a beast… I just think it must have been hard to deal with…"

"Oh, Sookie, don't be so naïve! He caused you _pain_. Tell me he didn't burn you from the inside and I'll leave well enough alone. Look me in the eye and say it."

I scrambled to think of something to say because I couldn't deny the pain. "Well maybe it _is_ my fault, because I thought the bond was almost closed, so if you think about it, I kind of deserved what he did."

"Have you been so brainwashed that you really believe that you deserved to be punished for enjoying yourself with a stand-up, normal, and very handsome man when you aren't in a committed relationship? Have they made you believe that all you are worthy of is pain and blood and sex? Lord, Sookie- Battered Woman's Syndrome much?"

"Claudine, you're not being fair. Eric would never hurt me! And he really is much more than that- he _does_ care about me, even if he shows it in strange ways sometimes! There is more to him than you have ever seen…"

"Sookie, I will not stand by and watch you cry yourself to sleep because of these _men_ anymore." Tears had started to drip from my ducts, and she must have noticed because she was much gentler when she continued. "Give this Adrian a chance. I've spent a lot of time studying him, and he's a good man. I am just asking that you don't close your heart to the other possibilities out there. You deserve happy tears, not these," She said as she lifted my chin with her hand and kissed my still tear-stained cheek.

I sniffled, nodding slightly, even though I thought she was being far too critical of Eric. She stuck a finger at the corner of my eye, picking up a stray drop and placing it in her mouth.

"Why do you all _do_ that?" I said.

She looked at me for a moment, "I don't know why anybody _else_ does it, but I just happen to think human tears taste of something from my childhood, as silly as that sounds. It has been many years since I was a child though…"

"Huh. My big childhood tastes were sweet tea and bomb pops!"

Claudine smiled, and I felt the tension in the room melt away. Got to love what a cheerful fairy can do for your mood. "Let's order up some room service, you think? I sure could use some breakfast after being unconscious for a good what was it, ten hours?"

"Actually you were only in and out of consciousness for the first two hours. You slept the rest of the time." I looked incredulously at Claudine. "I rushed back to the hotel when I felt your panic and _pain_." Her emphasis was definitely on the word pain. "Imagine my surprise when I got here to see you, knocked out, and being carried like a baby by a very worried, very _naked_ Adrian! Granted, you were also nude, so I wasn't as appalled as I might have been."

"You dressed me?"

"At your service. Adrian wouldn't leave your side until he was sure you were going to be okay. Of course, I made him cover up with a blanket though. I may be a fairy, but let me assure you- I am also a lady!"

I giggled and we set about ordering up enough breakfast for three as we waited for Amelia to reemerge. While we waited for it to arrive, I stood up to make sure my limbs were still operating properly. _Success_, I thought as I walked across the room to brew some coffee.

"Ew. Don't drink that junk!" Claudine called from the bed. "If you are going to feed this addiction, I insist that you at least become aware of the more sophisticated options available to you! I am going to add some flavor to your life!"

She called to room service, adding three café con pannas (What I heard: _Coffee combed bananas?_) made with fair-trade espresso only to our order. It was as though she could suddenly speak to orphaned hamsters, and I had been made to watch.

"Coffee combed ba-" I started, but as the words faltered in my mouth, Amelia shot through the door like an explosion of bubbles. "Whoa."

"Hello, gorgeous women!" Amelia was radiant; the smile that lit her face could have powered Knoxville for at least five minutes. "Marvelous time to be among the living, isn't it?"

"Wow, 'Mel, good night I'm guessing?" Claudine joked.

"More than that!" She swung around the room with last night's dress wrinkled and her hair at odds with itself. "It was life changing. I mean, I have had _sex_ before, I have _made love_ before, I have _fucked_ before, but **this** was forget your own name while orgasming in a hurricane while upside down _and_ underneath (and somehow Above!), it was something else all together!" Amelia faked wiped the sweat off of her forehead and collapsed backward onto the bed.

Wowzers! "Too much information!" I yelled as astounding visuals passed across my mental radius.

Claudine countered with, "Woo-hoo! Tell me everything!" while nearly pummeling into Amelia to get the details.

I suppose that's why I had to let the room service attendants in with my ears plugged.

After we had all caught up with each other's nights, Amelia having been shocked at the way my night turned out (_And here I thought you were getting the Fernandez action too!_), I found myself staring at my tiny cup- if you could even call it a cup- of coffee.

"How is this tiny thing going to do what my standard three mugs do for me? It looks like sludge. Sludge covered with whipped cream."

"Just try it. I bet you'll be surprised." Claudine said.

I tasted it tentatively, and was actually pleasantly surprised. It was gone too quickly for my taste, but it was really delicious. I licked my lips in the simple (tiny) pleasure. Claudine looked very proud to have introduced me to something human.

As we trudged around, slowly getting ready we discussed our plans for the day. I was hoping for more sun-worshipping, while Claudine wanted to take a salsa dance lesson. Amelia was down for whatever her new boy-toy and his friends were doing. I hated to break it to her;

"''Mel, did you forget that they're going back to Key Largo today? Something about big bachelor plans. I kinda feel bad anyway for taking so much of Austin's party time with Adrian."

"Oh, don't worry about Austin!" Claudine leered. "I made sure he had a night to remember last night!"

"What?" Amelia asked.

"After you snuck off with Felix, I called Claude to see if he knew of any exclusive gentlemen's clubs in the area that featured some uh, _exotic_ entertainment. Because the boys are such thrill-seekers, you know?" I nodded at her, a tad bit wary. "Well, it just so happened that the cure for Austin's ailments was right here in Miami. No, I think he would be just fine if his bachelor party had ended last night at say, oh, one-thirty in the morning."

This was one of those times I was really okay with being unable to read Claudine's mind as a wicked smile crossed her lips.

"Who cares about Austin," Amelia squeaked. "We only have a few more days here and I will be damned if the best sex I've ever had just strolls on over to the Florida Keys without me!"

With that Amelia stormed out of the room.

"Am I the only one who has the feeling we're going to be spending the night in Key Largo?" I said as Claudine shrugged. "Do, do you think Eric will be able to find me if I've gone across the water?" I stuttered, not sure if I wanted him to find me or not… Maybe just one more night with Adrian could help me make my decision about what the hell to do with Eric.

I mean, what right did he have, storming out here like a bat out of hell to do what exactly? To come here and chastise me? Was he going to put me over his knee and spank me… well, that might be okay- No! Because if he came here for any of those reasons, that would mean that he _could_ actually give a damn about me. And that was impossible. Was he _that_ possessive, that even though he didn't want me, he wouldn't allow me any pleasure? Now, that would just be cruel… he couldn't just expect me to live out the rest of my life with sexual frustration so intense that if you were to rub my thighs together they'd start a fire! This is just… bullshit!

"You know what, I hope he can't. I hope he just gets the message and leaves me the hell alone. I'll deal with him at _my_ convenience!"

My rant was cut off by a rap on the door. I caught my breath as Claudine checked the peep hole and opened the door wide. Adrian was standing there. "So, Amelia just came to our room like a battering ram, and I think she and my brother are in complete agreement that you all should join us at our house in Key Largo tonight. I have to admit, it seems like a pretty good idea to me… I guess I was wondering how that idea sounded to you, ladies?" He was looking directly into my eyes even as he directed the conversation to both Claudine and I.

"Well, our schedules are really quite jam-packed with multiple events at this moment," Claudine started, teasing.

I elbowed her on the stealth in the ribs and finished, "But we'll see if we can fit you into our itinerary." One more night with Adrian was looking better and better as I taunted my bonded as though he could actually hear me; _I hope you like to play hide and seek._

_*** Let me know what you think! And maybe then we can change positions……….. S.J. ***_


	11. Chapter 11

**I am not Charlaine Harris, nor do I own the rights to any of her characters or stories. Sometimes Eric, Sookie & the team just let me choose their own adventure… Please don't sue.**

**This was a fun chapter to write- did someone tell me that there was a *lemonade* stand set-up nearby? Maybe I was just hearing voices in my head… **

**Chapter 11:**

I didn't make it. I would have bet all I owned on my making it to Miami and into Sookie's bed before dawn… but I didn't. You would really be surprised at all the things one has to take into consideration when flying across the country without the comfort of a pilot making the decisions for you. Having the gift of flight is actually not as luxurious as one may assume as well. There are insects that hit your face and headwinds and tailwinds that can really screw up your plans for vengeance.

Nine hundred forty miles really gives a man time to think. Well, I suppose I only made it eight hundred sixty miles before the approaching sun knocked me out of the sky. I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I had ignored the internal clamor that notified me the sun was near.

I had passed a sign that read: 'Welcome to Wellborn, We Hope You Stick Around' when I passed through town. Population: 5000. _This town is pretty backwoods_, I sighed to myself as I located the only cemetery erected in the city.

My internal signals were starting to build in intensity, sort of like when the bomb is about to go off on television and the beeping noises get closer together, louder and louder…. Do you know to what I am referring? I was regretting my impulsiveness as I bent over on all fours and began digging my home for the day.

_I have not slept in the ground for many hundreds of years_, I thought, admonishing myself for my recklessness. These human-like emotions were startling in their ability to make me be so unlike myself, but if I were being honest I would have to admit that I was sort-of enjoying being so impulsive. I had taken off the robes of Eric the Sheriff, Eric the Manipulator, Eric the Political Savant. Was I still _Eric_ without those roles? Or is this the vampire I truly am- _reckless_ and _impulsive_ and _fiery_ and _passionate_? _Why was I _really_ going to Sookie?_

I didn't have time to contemplate as I removed my clothes and fell down sluggishly into the primitive grave, covering myself with as much dirt as possible before the first sun's ray streamed over the horizon.

***

It was after lunch when we finally left for the marina. The seven of us gathered in the lobby with our bags in hand.

The concierge rushed over to us. "Leaving so soon Miss Carmich- er, Miss Broadway? And Mr. Fernandez, um Mr. Fernandezes, Fernandeezes?" He was standing on the precipice of having a full blown panic attack. He tried to compose himself, "Gentlemen, you are leaving as well?" He was worried that something had soured us to the Ritz and he definitely had done his research and knew _exactly_ who Amelia and the guys' daddies were. "Was your room not to your liking?"

Amelia looked down at the nametag of the nervous concierge and responded, "Well, Graeme," I heard from his head that Graeme was _definitely_ not his given name; he didn't think that his real name would work in a place like this. I tried to catch his name. "Just so you know there was no complimentary welcome basket or champagne in our room when we arrived as I had requested per our conversation. And to be honest with you those pillows could have really used a good fluffing." She paused for flair. "I am sorry to have to tell you this Graeme, but our service here has been utterly subpar and I am afraid my companions and I may never again return to this establishment!"

Felix and Ethan nodded in silent agreement. The look of horror that crossed poor Graeme's face was hysterical, and as we started for the exit Felix hollered, "Just joshing you, Graeme! Some of our things are still in the rooms. Not to worry, everything's been perfect- we'll be back por la mañana!"

It was then that the name of the concierge flickered through my mind. "Teddy!" I said to no one in particular. "Oh, that is so funny!" Adrian was much closer than I had realized, but I couldn't resist freaking the poor concierge out one more time. "See ya tomorrow Teddy-Graeme!" I called before the automatic doors closed on me. Teddy-Graeme was looking so green that I would have bought him a stiff drink on the house if we were at Merlotte's (that or brought him a bucket). I was chuckling as the valet brought our cars around.

"Would you like to tell me what that was all about, Miss Stackhouse?" Adrian said quietly.

"You want to tell me all about your more _exotic_ adrenaline rushes, Mr. Fernandez? Jeez, can't a girl comment on a delicious sugary snack without an explanation?" I countered.

He looked chastened, but I could tell that this was not over with. I sighed, my temporary amusement squashed. _They all find out one way or another._

"Nice car," Claudine called as a sleek silver car pulled up next to the mustang.

Claudine pretended to care as Austin launched into a detailed explanation of the concept behind Aston somebody's Rapide car.

It's a car. It takes you from here to there. Who cares? "Well that's not flashy in the _least_," I joked to Felix. "I would have figured you guys would have been driving something much more ostentatious than _this_ piece of junk."

I guess Felix didn't get my sense of humor yet, because he was quite serious when he answered. "Well, we thought about renting a Lambo or something cheaper like a Corvette, but Adrian couldn't stomach it."

"What do you mean?"

He laughed. "When the rental guy showed them to us, Adrian was like- 'Do I look like I'm having a mid-life crisis here?'" I grimaced, wondering if Eric was having a very, very late mid-life crisis. "So we just went over to a dealership and asked if we could have this for the week… Everyone has their price Sookie. You just have to know the right thing to offer." His mood grayed, "That's something our father always used to tell us- a good piece of advice."

Okay. "What did you dad do for a living," I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Oh, he was in investment management- hedge funds to be specific." His face grew sad again. "He was always on the road back and forth from New York when Adrian and I were kids. Shoot, he probably would still be on the road to this day if he hadn't…" He stopped himself sharply, pursing his lips. I could see he was trying to think of a way to change the subject as he paused and looked around to see what the hold-up was. Austin and Ethan actually had Claudine down on the cement, looking at the undercarriage of the car. They were both desperately jockeying for position in her line of sight.

I cleared my throat a little, "Forgive me for prying, but when we were at dinner, and Amelia asked about your parents, it really seemed like you wanted to say something else about your mom. Can I ask what it was that you hesitated to say?

"Adrian will probably be pissed at me for talking about this," I could feel the 'but' coming, "But things were really strange when she left us. It was hard for a very long time in our house," I could feel waves of anger and sadness coming from Felix, but he was in complete control of those feelings and lost in his thoughts. I couldn't help it; it was almost a compulsion as I lowered my shields to peer inside Felix.

A memory: _Felix was remembering through the distorted lens of a child's eyes chasing after a GI Joe figurine that he had catapulted onto his balcony from his room. He crawled on all fours like an Army Private out into the sunshine. He was feeling invisible as he reached out a small hand to snatch up the sergeant missing from his regime. He was wishing his dad was there to play with him- Adrian was too young to understand who was infantry and who was artillery. But his dad was gone, as usual. He caught a glint of light in his eyes and maneuvered himself over to the edge of the balcony. When he looked down, he saw his mom leaning into a car window._

_Felix figured it was a new gardener or somebody like that, 'cause his mom was always so friendly to everyone. She looked happy, her long, dark hair shining in the noonday light. He was about to go back into his room when she looked around the house's exterior anxiously and then quickly- so quickly he almost thought he imagined it- dipped her head all the way inside of the car and kissed the man sitting behind the steering wheel. _

Oh, my God. I pulled out of Felix's head as quick as a flash and pulled steel-walled shields into place. Felix, however didn't notice how shaken I was. I vowed to keep my guards of for the rest of the week and chided myself for being so intrusive. "She was very smart about a lot of things though- she taught me how to do some of my favorite things in the world before she left!" Felix was grinning as Adrian shouted,

"Seriously! Can we get this show on the road? I'm not getting any younger you know!" I kind of liked that considering my last 'boyfriend' certainly was not getting any older.

"Who is riding with whom?" I asked.

"I am riding with Claudine!" Ethan shouted.

"I'm going with Claudine!" Austin seconded.

"Right, you guys take the Mustang and we'll meet you there. And remember buddy, you're getting married next week! Keep it in your pants." Claudine raised an eyebrow but held her tongue as Austin flushed scarlet.

The drive to the marina was so smooth that I felt like I was riding on a wave of silk in the beautiful car and I soaked in the scenery. Felix and Amelia were in the front seats gabbing about boat slips while I relaxed next to Adrian.

"How's the head?"

"Oh, Claudine found a really effective painkiller for me. I feel great." Yeah, I don't think what Claudine had popped out to get me was legal in any of the fifty states.

"That Claudine sure is something else," Adrian commented. I nodded. He had no idea just how accurate that statement was.

"I feel like we are imposing on your boy's weekend, Adrian," I said, leaning back on the cushy leather seat. "I hope that us being here isn't going to ruin your fun… I mean you just met us… Is this weird?"

"I am going to tell you this one time and I need you to believe me: I want you here, Felix wants Amelia here, and Austin and Ethan definitely want Claudine to be here. Let's be honest, Austin will probably be divorced again in six months."

"Divorced _again_?" Amelia had gotten interested in our conversation.

"Didn't he tell you? This is Austin's third trip down the aisle. I think he'll be okay if his bachelor party has other pretty girls there."

"Seriously?" I said in disbelief.

Felix jumped in, "You didn't tell them the best part." I glanced up at where Felix was looking at me in the rear view mirror. "Lily was his third wife's sister, and three months into the marriage- after he had been seeing Lily for two months, Lily gave Austin an ultimatum."

"Saying what?" Amelia asked.

"Either you divorce my sister and marry me or you will never see my face again."

"And that worked?" I asked, incredulous as Eric's face flashed through my mind against my will.

"They're getting married aren't they?" Felix finished with a triumphant grin as we pulled into the parking lot of a massive marina.

I didn't really have time to think about that as we marched down the ramps passing boat after boat. I was amazed at all the different kinds of boats that were there. The only boats I had ever been on were an aged pontoon boat that we borrowed occasionally from one of my Granddad's friends for fishing, and a canoe with Michael St. Edward on an ill-fated first date in the tenth grade (He much preferred the company of freshwater fish to that of Sookie 'Crazy Juice' Stackhouse).

Amelia and I laughed at some of the names people had give their boats; from a yacht called _Daddy Warbucks_ to a boat named _CDeezNutz_. "I wonder if he thought about the fact that he had purchased a _speedboat_ when he named that one," Amelia quipped.

When it felt like we had been walking for forever I asked Adrian, "Are we lost? I mean, do you know where you parked your skiff, skipper?"

"Hey, don't you call my brother's _vessel_ a skiff!" Felix insinuated. I giggled. "And actually, we're here."

I peered around an enormous yacht searching for their boat.

Amelia grinned at me.

"You have got to be kidding me," I said, rolling my eyes. The yacht I was looking around was their boat.

"Ahoy, me mateys!" Claudine called down from the deck of the yacht. She was already wearing a captain's hat, and Austin and Ethan flanked her on both sides. All they needed were blue nautical striped shirts. "Are ye ready to come aboard?" Man, she was really good at accents! Her pirate was perfection.

"This isn't a boat Adrian," I cried. "This is a friggin' ship!"

"So, you like it?"

Words caught in my larynx.

"I'll take that as a yes."

When I was finally able to compose a sentence, I asked, "What does the name mean- _Margaux Future?"_

"Well, the boat was our father's, and _Margaux_ is the sort-of brand of boat-"

"You mean ship?" I interjected.

"Ha ha, funny girl. Like I said, _Margaux_ is kind-of the brand of the yacht, and _Future_, well my Pops made a good deal of his money on futures." When he saw my blank look he added, "It's a way of making other people, and yourself, money through a certain kind of investment."

"Wow, and here I've been scrimping and saving every last penny working as a barmaid when all along all I really needed to do was buy futures! What was I thinking all of these years? Amelia, I'm changing occupations!" I yelled out as Amelia was boarding. "Care to join me?"

"Only if we can get a boat like this when we've made our first million!" She said.

As I popped up onto the deck I realized there were three other humans onboard; I could feel their mental signatures. Immediately, I tensed up and tried to figure out a way to alert the others without giving my gift away. "What was that?" I asked pretending I had heard something coming from inside the hull of the boat.

Adrian jerked his head in the direction I was looking.

"Oh, well somebody has to steer the boat, right?" Adrian grinned as a young girl and male emerged from inside the cabin. The girl was carrying a silver tray precariously balancing seven champagne filled flutes. The male was holding some very yummy-looking hors d' oeuvres. Adrian wiggled his eyebrows at me and said, "And someone has to make sure our appetites are taken care of."

"Ah, but do they take care of _all_ of your appetites?" I hinted.

The pretty blonde answered, "They don't pay us well enough for that!" I grinned at her as I took a glass of the liquid ambrosia.

In a few minutes we were led out of the marina and then we were on our way. "This is amazing Adrian," I said as I took in the yacht. I wondered why they didn't just stay on board to sleep.

"Who wants a tour?" Felix called.

I glanced at Adrian and he nodded at me, "If you don't mind, I have to check on some stuff. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes?"

"No worries," I said. "I guess you've seen this boat once or twice right?" He grinned as he reached into his stuff and pulled out a laptop bag. I felt like a fish out of water as I tried to reconcile boats and wireless internet in my brain. _Come on Sook, you've seen much stranger things,_ I told myself, visions of ectoplasmic reconstructions, swamp tigers, and flying vampires crossing my memory as I hustled to keep up with the group. _Flying vampires_, I thought as I felt a serious twinge of guilt. _I was going to be in so much trouble,_ I thought as I worried about the Viking who seemed dead-set (pardon) on ruining my week and who was also MIA.

Claudine pinched my arm. "Isn't this beautiful?" She said as I finally absorbed my surroundings.

"It is really…" I said the only word that could really describe the yacht, "Opulent." I didn't say much else as Felix showed us the living room, dining room, stateroom, two other staterooms, and sun deck, along with a bathroom so impressive I had to hold back tears at the memories of Eric that I pushed away. It was just too much. _Too much wealth, too many waves_, I told myself as I started to feel a little bit seasick.

_You would never fit in with this kind of lifestyle_, I thought as we paused on the deck to get a good view of the ocean. I was starting to feel like the poor country girl I really was, and getting a bit depressed (and nauseated) on the way back to meet with the others. When we joined them they were gathering on the sun deck, talking excitedly.

From what I could hear the guys were trying to figure out what Felix had lined up for the evening.

"I bet we're going diving to do some spear fishing," Austin suggested, eyes alight with anticipation. "But I bet we're chasing something bigger- barracuda maybe?" _Do people really do that? _ I wondered as I found a seat trying to calm my heaving stomach.

"Naw, that is too much like spring break our senior year," Ethan said. "It has to be something bigger. I bet we're wakeboarding with gators in the Everglades!"

"You are all wrong, I think," Adrian had snuck up behind me and grazed his strong, sure fingers over the muscles of my shoulders. "I bet Felix is going to see if you are finally going to back up all that shit you've been talking about doing free solo climbs up some of those rock faces."

Amelia and Claudine gave each other a significant look as Felix said, "Well, you are all wrong on all counts. You'll just have to wait until I give you the go-ahead."

I felt a little bit better as Adrian's hands kneaded my back and I leaned into him. His warmth was all-encompassing and I closed my eyes as the rest of the group toasted to adventure.

That wasn't the best idea I had ever had. As soon as my eyes shut the nausea increased exponentially. "Sookie, are you alright?" Amelia called from where she was perched.

"You are looking a little green," Austin chimed in.

"I'm fine…'Mel do you still have whatever it was that you took for motion-sickness when we flew here?"

"Yeah, you want me to grab it for you?"

"I think it would be good for me to walk around a little."

"Okay. In my cosmetic bag there is a silver tin with some herbs in it, just take a pinch out and let them dissolve under your tongue. You'll start feeling better right away- I promise."

I glanced at Adrian. "Could you show me where your people stowed our stuff?"

"Of course," he said. As we left I overheard Felix giving Amelia a hard time about her 'homeopathic voodoo.' Adrian took my hand gently and led me down below the deck to some storage holds at the end of a dimly lit hallway.

"Sorry I'm such a mess around you," I said, "I feel like I've barely gotten to know you at all 'cause I've been such a disaster this week." I fought another round of nausea as he pointed to the huge compartment where our stuff was. I laughed at myself as I struggled with the handle of the compartment, thinking how much easier life would be if we could just empty all of our _baggage_ into a water-tight compartment and forget all about it.

When I finally got the damn door open I froze, in complete and utter shock.

I could feel my body starting to shake and I fought the urge to scream.

I forced calm and strength into my body, sort-of the way that Eric gives me strength, as I composed myself just enough to look Adrian dead in the eye and ask, "What the fuck is all of this?"

I stepped out of the way of the door to reveal the huge arsenal of guns, knives, and spears hung with care along the walls of the large storage hold. Our bags were tossed casually into the center of it all. He was frozen in place.

Before Adrian could answer me I cut him off, "Who the hell are you? Are you with Steve Newlin's people? What did you bring me here for?" I demanded, my knees shaking. "If you hurt me, forces will be set into motion that, _believe me_, your ass will not stand a chance against!"

I was feeling like a cornered dog, and I was weighing my options as to how to escape this situation and somehow get to Claudine and Amelia before I was killed. _Screw it_, I thought as I grabbed the biggest gun within reach. I was _not_ going out like this. Not here, not on a boat in the middle of effing nowhere. The least I could do was threaten him with it. I'd do more than that if it came down to it. I lifted the gun and aimed it directly at his face, imagining that he was Debbie Pelt, not the seductive stranger I'd allowed myself to grow fond of over the last few days.

I growled at him, "You need to explain to me in the next ten seconds exactly what you're doing before I do something you will never have a chance to regret." It may or may not have been a load of shit, but it seemed to get the reaction I was looking for.

Adrian lifted his hands up in a pleading gesture and crouched down in what was clearly a stance of surrender. I wasn't used to foes that backed down. It was then that I finally caught on to the look on Adrian's face. He looked… _Embarrassed? Hesitant? Nervous? _"Sookie! It's not what you think it is!" I cocked an eyebrow and the trigger at Adrian. He continued slowly, "Don't kill me, I like you. Look, my dad was huge on personal security at all times so I guess I've just gotten used to all of this. This was just a part of my life, and with some of the things my brother and I do in our spare time, it just makes life easier to have this stuff when we need it." He stopped momentarily and squinted at me. I was checking the tenor of his thoughts, and they had the ring of truth, so I could feel myself lowering the gun slightly.

Adrian took that to mean that he was free to stand back up, but as he rose up from the ground I quickly shifted the gun back up to my line of sight. I figured it was better just to ask directly so I could read the true answer from his brain. I stepped forward before he had time to react and dropped my left hand from the gun to grab his arm.

"What are you doi-"

"Adrian Fernandez, were you sent here to kill me?" I asked quietly, doing my best to sound sure of myself.

"Jesus, Sookie! No! Why would I want to kill you?" He cried, the stress of the situation rolling off of him like tidal waves. But as usual, he was being honest.

I dropped down to the floor, scooting the gun as far away from me as possible with the toe of my shoe. I put my head in my hands, remembered my sea-sickness, and reached around to Amelia's overnight bag feeling for the cosmetic case. When I found the herbs I followed Amelia's instructions explicitly. I managed to do all of this without looking at Adrian's face even one time. The effects were almost instantaneous and I felt better than I had since we got on the yacht.

I tried not to think about the cache of weapons sitting right behind me. I tried not to think about the fact that I had basically just held a gun to the head of the object of my lust. Instead I thought about painting my living room a nice calming blue, I thought about my newest romance novel, but I definitely did _not_ think about the man sitting across the hall from me. _Definitely_.

"Sookie," Adrian was saying when I finally started paying attention. "Sookie," He was tapping his foot impatiently. I continued to pretend that he wasn't there. "Sookie!" He yelled.

"What, Adrian!?" I finally answered- yelling my response in kind.

"What do you mean _what_? You were ready to kill me a minute ago!"

"How the hell did you expect me to react? What are you guys- _arms dealers?" _

Did he think that I would giggle and ask to play cops and robbers with him? "I told you why we have the guns. It was the truth!" He was mad. "Why did you assume that I was here to hurt you? Do I seem like some sort of _assassin_? Give me a fucking break."

"You know _nothing_ of my life." I spat out in retort.

"Well, maybe that's because you haven't _told_ me anything. You're a closed book, Sookie! I can't figure out who you are- and you are obviously _someone_. And now, when you just automatically assume that I am here to kill you- well, you may as well have added another edition to the _Things I Don't Know About Sookie _book. "

I glared at him, but could feel myself softening. "I told you my life was complicated…"

"And why would you think that Steve Newlin had sent me? Isn't he the Fellowship of the Sun guy?" He looked me up and down speculatively, chuckling a little under his breath.

"What?"

"I just almost asked you if you were a vampire."

I gave him a half-smile. "Not yet," I joked.

"I know. I just am a little overwhelmed here. I've never been held at gunpoint before; by a woman I have a crush on no less."

I was surprised. "You mean you still like me after all of that?" I stuttered.

"Who wouldn't want to have such a dangerous woman by his side?"

I scoffed at the idea of me being dangerous. "I hate to tell you this Adrian, but there are worse things out there than guns."

"What scares me is the fact that I am completely convinced that you can name each and every one of those things. It worries me that I honestly believe that you know what you're talking about."

"I wish I didn't…" I whispered and Adrian shifted over to my side of the hallway gathering my body tightly in his arms.

"Look, I'm not going to force you to tell me all your secrets, I 'm just gonna ask you to trust me. When you're ready to talk, just remember I'm here, okay?" He rested his chin on my head as we sat in silence.

"Sorry I almost murdered you," I said lightly.

Adrian just shook his head. "You're lucky I didn't go all ninja on you."

I started laughing, "Oh, so you were holding out on me?"

"Hey, I would never want to harm a lady!"

I snorted and as I laughed, Adrian dipped down stealthily to steal a kiss from my lips.

I nipped up at him, returning for a second helping. Things heated up almost instantly as his full lips were coveting mine. His hands were on me at once, begging to trace and memorize every contour of my shape. Suddenly he was over me, a steady hand guiding my still raw head to the floor. It felt so wrong to be touching like this on the floor of his dead father's yacht, but in the moment I couldn't make myself care. I yanked the tightly-fitting white t-shirt he was wearing over his head as he pulled the tiny straps of my tank-top down off of my shoulders.

I rubbed my hands over the thick bands of muscle that created a v-shape above his hips, pushing down the still belted waist of his jeans to trace his form. Then, before he could expose my breasts, I reached up and pushed him over onto the floor and straddled his knees. I bent down and tongued each of his abdominal muscles, delighting in the taste of his flesh. "Mmmm," I moaned softly. "You taste good," I whispered as I grazed his belly button with my teeth, and then rose up to taste his chest and nipples. He cried out in delight as I headed back south, kissing down the light trail that started at his belly button and ended somewhere delicious below his jeans. I was starting to unbuckle his belt when he flipped over me so that now I was lying on my stomach, raised up on my elbows.

He lifted my hair off of my neck with one hand, and his warm breath sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel heat and wetness gathering between my thighs. "Sookie." He breathed as he rolled the straps of my shirt further down my shoulders and almost to my elbows. He kissed my neck and all over my exposed back. I arched my spine to him, silently pleading for him to turn me over so that I could feel his length, his warmth, deep inside of me. So that we could lose ourselves completely in the cadence of our bodies.

He stopped.

I turned over like a petulant child to complain at the absence of his fingers and tongue on my flesh. _Why can't I just get laid? Am I defective? _ I opened my mouth to put my thoughts to words, but he placed two fingers over my questioning lips.

"I have put much thought into me and you in the last twenty-four hours, Sookie," Adrian started, locking his cherry-chocolate eyes directly with mine.

"And?" I cried through the space between his index and middle fingers.

"And I like you too much to fuck you on the floor with a gun right above your head." I glanced around me, and sure enough, the gun I had just almost killed Adrian with was completely forgotten three feet away from me.

"Because that is all it would be: _Mindless_, though I am sure it would be _mind_-_blowing_ fucking on the floor of a boat."

I wasn't convinced that this was the most practical of decisions. "But, isn't this a yacht? Does that change anything?" I said, half-kidding.

"Sookie, I don't just want to fuck you. You deserve better than that."

_What man turns down sex with a ready and more than willing partner?_

I decided to give it one more try.

I gave him my most innocent of looks and said, "Do you really want this to go to waste?" I slowly unzipped my pants and reached under my panties. With closed eyes I touched myself and gathered some of my wetness onto my fingers.

I pulled my hand out with even more exaggerated slowness and opened my eyes as I traced my soaking fingers over the sensitive skin of my chest and raised them up to my lips.

I inclined a single brow in question, while Adrian looked like he was about to have an aneurism. "You don't want this?" I teased, sticking my tongue out slightly to lick my fingers dry.

I was feeling victorious when I could tell that Adrian was about to acquiesce to my not so subtle demand. He was kissing me again in a flash like his life was at stake, tasting my fingers hungrily like a man eating his last meal.

I had finally relieved him of his belt and was unbuttoning his fly when the blonde girl clanked down the hall toward us. "Mr. Fernandez? Is that you down there?" She did an immediate and complete 180 degree turn when she saw the precarious positions we were in.

She called over her shoulder in a shaky voice as she raced the other way, "Mr. Fernandez, we're docking, just so you know. We're here!"

"Damn it," I cursed, "I finally had you where I wanted you!"

Adrian grinned up at me, triumph on his face. "Thank the Lord! Now I get to have you my way, on my terms."

"What like Burger King? Extra pickles, no onions on top?"

"More like completely naked with a good helping of _caramel_ on top." He looked down suggestively at himself. "That is, of course, unless _you_ want to be on top…"

He kissed me again before we set ourselves back to rights and emerged on the sundeck to join the others.

"Man Amelia, who taught you how to pack?" Adrian pronounced and we approached. "It took forever to find those herbs…"

"Interesting that it should take an hour and a half to find my cosmetics case," Amelia joked.

"Interesting that your shirt should be on inside-out too, little brother," Felix noted.

***

**I hope you enjoyed Chapter 11! Please review for me- Reviews keep Eric on the hunt for his telepath… Oh, and BTW, I fully expect that if I were to reach a certain number of reviews in the next 36 hours that our favorite Viking might just make an **_**entrance to be remembered**_** in the next chapter. If not, no skin off my back- he can putter about aimlessly for another chapter! **

**-SJ**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks for all the beautiful reviews last week! Sadly, I was one review short on my 36 hour time limit… That having been said I wrote and I wrote and I wrote to make sure that your Viking could make his appearance………………………………………………………………………………………………………… To be continued…..**_

_**Disclaimer: I am not Charlaine Harris, nor do I own the rights to any of her books or characters. Please do not sue me. Sometimes Sookie, Claudine, Amelia and I go walking, after midnight… looking for Eric.**_

**Chapter 12**

It was still pretty early in the afternoon when we pulled up to the Fernandez property on Key Largo. And when I say property I mean Estate. And when I say Estate I mean… Wow. Another flashy car had been waiting for us when we docked along with a huge silver box of an SUV with enormous tires which Austin enlightened me was called a _G-Wagon. _

"It looks like a tank," I stated.

"That's the point," Austin said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It can drive through anything," Felix noted. "We drove it up a boulder field once. It was awesome."

The drive was short to their castle- er, house. We parked under the porte cochere along the huge round-about driveway that led to the home. It was situated directly beach-front and I could see white sand and turquoise water peeking out from behind the perfectly manicured grounds of the mansion. It was Mediterranean style with multiple balconies and porches protruding from windows, and was easily the most incredible place I had ever seen.

I had to remind myself to keep it together as we paced up the steps that led to two enormous doors that looked hand-carved where a sharply-dressed gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a strong jaw line waited for our party. "I thought I heard you coming," the forty or fifty-something male said.

"Perry, my man," Adrian said, as he approached the man and shook his hand in an easy way. Felix gave this Perry a brusque nod as he passed through the doors. Perry's indulgent smile stiffened momentarily in Felix's direction until Adrian said, "Everything been in order while we were away?"

"Oh, yes Mr. Fernandez," Perry said, returning his attention to Adrian. "There was a little quirk with the sprinkler system in the backyard, but I had that taken care of immediately and you will find all of the systems in perfect order."

Adrian clapped the older gentleman on his back and stated, "Of course it will be, my friend. I would trust you with my life- let alone my house."

Perry looked happy at hearing that, saying, "It has been my pleasure to care for Lámase de la Sal all of these years. Your father would have been happy to know how much you've been able to use it." Adrian's smile faltered and Perry finished, "He was a good man… and taken too soon."

Adrian nodded as we stepped into the huge foyer. It took my breath away; the room had incredibly high ceilings accented with mahogany beams that jutted out at angles and creamy marble slabs which lined the floors. Huge windows looked out over the lush backyard and to the beach beyond. The house was a bold mix of masculine details with beachy, extravagant accents.

I paused at an enormous bronze anchor leaning against a whitewashed terra cotta wall. As I slid my hand over the metal and marveled at its size my shields slipped and I was astonished to discover that Perry was something that was _very_ intrinsically inhuman. As Adrian started introducing his female guests to Perry I tried to figure out what kind of supe this man was.

Amelia and Perry had just finished shaking hands and I watched as Adrian said, "Perry, I'd like to introduce you to Claudine- Claudine? You know what, I don't think I ever caught your last name."

Claudine was giving Perry an impressed look as she took his hand, responding, "That's because I never told you it, silly!"

"What a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Perry had a twinkle in his eye as he gave Claudine a sideways grin.

"Oh," Adrian said, "Do your families know each other or something?"

"Ah, Claudine is a legend in her own right," Perry said. "I never thought I'd get to see you in person."

"Oookay," Adrian was looking very perplexed as Amelia raised her brows in question and I just shrugged my own cluelessness. "And Perry, this is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse."

A glimmer of recognition passed across Perry's face, but Adrian didn't catch it, and Perry took my hand, holding it just a moment too long. "Mucho gusto."

"Let me show you where you'll be staying," Perry said, and Adrian covered his smirk with his fist. This enigmatic Perry could sure show us to a room, but I had some serious doubts whether I'd actually be sleeping there.

After we had been deposited in three of the most decadent rooms I could possibly imagine I set about to hop in the shower so I could be ready for whatever it was that was in store for the rest of the day. As I admitted myself into the adjoining bathroom, I was absolutely amazed and… confused.

It was vast, with sleek, pearly marble floors and granite walls with white French doors that led to a private balcony. In the middle of the room, standing alone was an enormous, perfectly round, above-ground Grecian-style bathtub. So why was I confused? Well, there was no shower. I opened the door that housed the commode… it wasn't in there. I pulled open the door to the linen closet… no shower. I definitely wasn't ready for a bath- that thing looked like it would take an hour to fill up.

_I guess I could do a military-style wash-up, _I thought and considered splashing some soapy water over the parts of me that people could see. I giggled, thinking that that might just take a lot of water considering what I planned to do to with Adrian later… _Better take the bath._

I tossed my clothes onto a luxurious chaise lounge sitting against the far wall and grabbed a towel out of the linen closet. _How many knobs does one bathtub need_, I wondered as I fiddled with one of the multitude trying to figure out how to get the water right. To my immense surprise, when I twisted the center knob water started dispensing from the ceiling. _Yes!_ There was a shower head almost two feet in circumference hidden in a recessed cove in the ceiling. It was literally raining warm water as I climbed over the high edges of the tub in a blissful state.

I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the heavenly spray. _Heaven,_ I smiled to myself, _this feels just like Heaven._ I allowed the steam and steady drizzle to soothe my nerves and soaked in the moment. Against my will I went back again to my happy place. _I was in the shower, reaching for the soap… my surprise at his sudden appearance… my desire for the wolf in sheep's clothing… his hands on my skin… the crush of his lips, needing mine like the air he would never breathe again… the arch of my back to meet his weapon of mass eruption… the unstoppable need to fuse our bodies together… _

I felt my hands trailing down my skin to touch the ache that urged me on.

"You know I'm trying to become an angel, right?"

I jumped out of my skin and tried to cover myself with my arms as I screamed, "For the love of Baby Jesus! Can't you see I'm showering?

Claudine was lounging leisurely on the chaise, propping her head up on an elbow. "Oh, I see that very clearly! But if I were to witness what you were about to do, I would have to add at least another ten years to the seraph-morh process."

"Seraph? What is-" I was getting distracted from the fact that I was very naked in the presence of my Fairy Godmother. "Doesn't matter. What I do in the privacy of my own shower is my business! Why are you in here??"

Claudine stood up and offered me a sea blue bath sheet which I took grudgingly as she turned off the water. "I have lived for a very long time, dear Sookie. I have seen more than my fair share of naked human bodies. While yours is exquisite, I have to tell you that I do prefer the sexual companionship of the males of your species."

I rolled my eyes as I finished wrapping the towel around my breasts and she handed me another, smaller towel for my hair. As I sat on the side of the tub and flipped my head up-side down to wrap my hair up I asked, "What's going on, Claudine? Why are you in here?"

"I had to tell you," Her voice held undisclosed excitement so I raised my head back up to look at her. "The estate-handler, Perry- did you catch something off of him?"

"I could tell he was a supe, but I didn't recognize the brainwaves." I was starting to get wary. Last thing we needed was to be staying with some minion of the afterlife…

"Guess what he is!" She demanded.

I decided to play along, if only because Claudine looked so eager. Well, the patterns were an interesting mix of greenish silver, but any words I may have caught from him were definitely not in English. "Loch Ness Monster?"

"Oh, that's just an overgrown marine pixy. You got the water part right though..." She paused to make sure I was giving her my rapt attention. "He is a flippin' Mermaid, Sook! Well, Mer_man_ to be specific. There are only like fourteen left in the world- poachers, of course. He is a living marvel."

"They exist?"

"Of course! What do you think I'm telling you? Anyway, Perry is only an alias for his real name. No one has seen him in years! We all thought he'd been captured… but I guess he's just been hiding out all this time." She was almost bubbling over with excitement.

"Why would anybody want to kill a Mermaid?"

Claudine grew serious, "Oh, there are lots of reasons why. But it mostly has to do with the properties and composition of their fins and scales."

"Okay. What do they do?"

"Just small shavings from the scales on their tails can counteract the effects of iron and lemon juice on a fairy. One Mermaid can save the lives of, supposedly, nearly one thousand fairies."

"Whoa." I didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah. They're good for other things too… Witches can increase the potency of their spells fifty-fold with a single fresh gill. Sookie, you have no idea what can be done with the harvesting of a single Mermaid."

I gave her a skeptical look at the mention of the word _harvest_.

"I know what you're thinking, Sookie, and _no_ I don't want to harm this man. He is far too valuable." I had heard that before.

"Valuable. Right," I muttered under my breath as I tried to defog the mirror. If you ask me, being valuable just meant you weren't going to be put to death in the immediate future.

"I'm not going to do anything to hurt him, Sook! Have you forgotten who I am? I don't hurt Innocents; it would set me back too far." Claudine perched back down on the lounge.

"Are Mermaids, or Mermen, considered Innocents?" I was wondering how careful I'd have to be around this guy.

"Oh yes. They are the gentlest of species- and they're vegetarians too!" Claudine said generously.

"Right," I said with a touch of irony. "Why are you a legend around these parts? Why did he know who you were?"

"I've been around for a very long time, Sookie." Claudine was being evasive. "He recognized you too; you realize that, do you not?"

I was still pondering the influx of new information as I stepped back into my bedroom, Claudine at my heels. "When did the evites go out for the party in Sookie's room?" I smirked at Amelia who was sitting on a bench in a window.

"Claudine and I have to share a bathroom. How did you score the best room?" Amelia whined.

She and Claudine looked at each other and then started cracking up. "Oh, right. I remember," she said.

***

After I had dressed and we explored most of the mansion, Claudine, Amelia, and I finally found the boys on the expansive patio near the pool. Felix and Adrian were sitting side by side at the outdoor bar and were looking like romantic heroes, shirtless, skin gleaming in the heat of the afternoon sun. Austin and Ethan were playing catch in the pool and were treating Claudine with two free tickets to a gun show. I smiled as Claudine took the bait, ripping off her top and yipping, "I want to play!" as she dove nimbly into the crystal clear water.

Amelia and I continued over to the beautiful brothers. "I was wondering if you got lost, gorgeous!" Felix grabbed Amelia with one hand behind her waist and cinched her into him. He cupped her face in his free hand gently and leaned in to place an inquiring kiss on her lips which Amelia returned with interest and assurance.

Adrian took my hand as Felix said a bit shyly, "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"What the hell took you so long?" Amelia said, kissing him again. I felt a little odd watching the exchange. The look in Felix's eyes was one of complete infatuation. If fact, I'd noticed that same look multiple times that day- every time Amelia was near.

"I've never seen him like this before," Adrian whispered, his breath brushing the little hairs at the nape of my neck. "It's almost like she put a spell on him or something."

I swallowed the mounting hysteria at that thought, and reprimanded myself. She would never do that! It's not like she's ever needed help getting a man…. No, I told myself, she didn't bewitch him. Nonetheless, I decided I'd better broach the subject with her later.

"Can I get you something to drink Ms. Stackhouse, Ms. Broadway?" said a voice behind me that dragged me out of my reverie.

Perry had a tray of drinks, and handed the brothers two Coronas. I asked for something fruity and fun (When in paradise…) while Amelia requested a vodka tonic for herself and Claudine.

We were talking about doing a late snorkel dive when Perry returned with our drinks. "Ms. Broadway," Perry said as he handed Amelia a vodka tonic with lemon slice over the lip of the glass.

"How did you know that Claudine didn't eat lemons?" Felix asked as he pointed to Claudine's garnish-free cocktail and glaring at the older gentleman.

_What is it with these two?_

Perry faltered and I didn't need to lower my shields to feel the rush of anxiety coming off of him. He cast about for an answer. I could have come up with four plausible excuses in the time it took for him to come up with a single one. "I… I could have sworn I put a lemon on her glass when I made it… Hmmm. Must have fallen off on the way from the kitchen. I'll have to see if I can retrace my steps and find the rogue lemon slice when I head back."

_Huh?_ How about, _I forgot to give her a lemon_? Or, _Amelia's was the last slice we had in the house?_ This dude was a poor liar. I wondered if that was a Mer-quality.

"Well, it's good for you that it fell off," Adrian said reassuringly. "Claudine has an allergy to lemons. Isn't that something? I've never heard of anybody being allergic to lemons before!" Perry just stood there, wide-eyed, nodding his head awkwardly. _Remind me to not tell this guy my big secrets. _

Adrian continued, "We're thinking about going out to the cement barrel wrecks and doing some snorkeling in a bit. You ought to join us!" Felix's head snapped in Adrian's direction and he shook his head slightly in opposition. Adrian ignored his brother as he winked at me, saying, "You have got to see this man swim! I guarantee you if he had a face-off with Michael Phelps, this guy right here would be the one to put your money on."

I feigned disbelief as Perry answered, "Adrian has always given me far too much credit." Amelia snorted while Felix looked merely confused.

"What's the joke here? Am I missing something?" Felix said, the traces of a bad mood filtering in through his words. Amelia ignored the question and tucked herself under his arm and gave him a pacifying kiss on the cheek.

Perry cleared his throat, "While I appreciate the offer, I have a lot of work to do this evening. But from what I hear, the snorkeling there is excellent right how. I even heard that a group of turtles had nested in that general area." I had a feeling that Perry could probably give us exact coordinates.

"That sounds amazing," Amelia said as Perry nodded then took his leave.

"Do you want to explore the snorkeling here ladies?" Felix asked his mood considerably brighter.

"Sounds great. But aren't you guys doing something 'big' for Austin today?"

"There will be ample time for both activities," Felix promised.

***

Soon we were on a much smaller boat, anchored down and pulling on snorkeling gear. I got a quick lesson from Ethan, who was apparently the water sports guru of the group and before I knew it I was watching colorful schools of fish touring the wreckage. It was absolutely surreal, and when I saw the sea turtles meandering with a slow current I wished that the day would never end.

Somehow the guys had come up with a couple of waterproof cameras and we had a great time taking photos of each other underwater.

I tired quickly though, and Adrian, who had stayed close by the duration of the swim guided me back to the boat. "You having fun?" He asked.

"Of course. That was so cool!" I gushed as soon as I removed my snorkel and mask. I leaned against the side of the boat and pulled off the flippers that made it hard to walk like a regular human being. Adrian shook his hair and the moisture went flying in all directions, glistening in the sun. _What a perfect day, _I thought, grinning. _Gorgeous man, tropical paradise, not too hot…_

"What are you smiling about?" Adrian asked, sidling up to me and giving me a very wet hug.

"This may sound stupid to you, but I've never met someone who it was just _easy_ with. You know?" Honesty was often the best policy. Adrian kissed me lightly and I breathed his scent in.

"You almost sound like you think that's a bad thing, Sookie," he responded into my hair, as he looked over my head and at the five snorkels poking up toward the sky.

I sighed. "No, it's not a bad thing. I think you are an absolutely remarkable-"

"And sexy, don't forget the sexy!" He interjected.

I grinned, "You are a remarkable, _extraordinarily_ sexy man. But I have baggage. Serious baggage."

"We all have baggage Sook."

"My baggage has a way of following me, or finding me, everywhere I go." I was starting to get anxious as I thought about all of the things I had been avoiding for the past few days. How deeply embedded I was in vampire politics, Eric, the meeting I would surely have to face with de Castro, Eric, my precarious position in the supernatural world, Eric, my Fairy great-gramps, Eric, my ass (no, tiger) of an ex Quinn, Eric…. Did I mention Eric, my blood bonded and one-time lover? Oh, I did, okay. Eric.

Adrian pulled me onto his lap as I contemplated my life. "If you want me, I am yours." I looked up, shocked. "I don't think you understand, Sookie. I don't care about whatever it is you think is too horrible to tell me about. I'm willing to give this a shot, and believe me I can be very persuasive when I want to be," he waggled his eyebrows at me.

Could I tell him? Did I want to risk it? He was so innocent… I was on the brink of blurting out everything when he picked up the conversation again.

"Maybe it'll help if you know more about me. Things haven't always been the way you must see my life now." I waited expectantly. He started going down a mental list. "Let's see, my Mom left us when I was five for another man- the city mechanic no less, which really doesn't matter to me, but to my father that was a slap on the face in and of itself. She left Felix and me. Never came back." He paused. "Felix remembers it better than me though, since I was so young at the time. He was really angry for a long time, and after he graduated from high school he just took off and we didn't talk for a few years.

"What else? My dad was never around growing up. He was always jetting here and there building his empire. If you ask me, he got so busy collecting and building that he never had a chance to live." He was running his hand up and down my arms absently as he spoke, lost in memories. "That's probably why Mom left, though. She sat on nearly every board in Houston, did tons of charity work, and could buy out any department store, but I don't think she ever got what she really wanted… his time.

"So, about three or so years ago, I guess Dad just couldn't manage it anymore… Someone from his security detail found him hanging from the rafters of our winter cottage up in Vail."

I didn't know what to say. His grief was almost tangible as I turned to do the only thing I could think to do. I hugged him. We stayed that way, rocking with the sway of the boat for a few minutes, my heart aching for his losses.

His voice was thick when he finally broke the silence, "A good thing came from it though. Felix showed up when we were laying my father to rest. Maybe he realized I was all he had left, I don't know. But ever since that day I've had my brother back."

"My brother is all I really have, too," I murmured. I could tell him that.

"I hope you'll feel safe enough to tell me your story one day, Ms. Stackhouse."

I cuddled up closer to him, considering. "Later," I promised as I heard the group approaching, splashes and happy banter growing louder.

Dusk was falling as we docked and a knot of panic shot through my system when I realized Eric would be waking soon.

_Did I want him to find me?_ I wasn't so sure anymore, and I definitely didn't want anything to happen to my new friends. _Angry vampires can be unreasonable_, I thought as I watched the sun curtsy to the full moon. I smirked, _Talk about your understatement of a lifetime. _

***

"Maybe we'll go on our adventure tomorrow. Scorpion filled piñatas can always wait an extra day." Felix was giving Amelia the eye after we'd sated our bodies with scrumptious bacon-wrapped scallops and bleu cheese-stuffed mushroom hors d' oeuvres in the oversized chef's kitchen.

"Can I second that idea?" She said smoldering up at him.

I was chewing the last morsel on my plate, lost in thought. Eric was on the move. I was trying to decide whether or not to let the girls know of the trouble ahead. I tested the tenor of his thoughts cautiously, and to my surprise I didn't feel the overwhelming fury that had burned me so badly. I was feeling a little bit optimistic as I did my best to send him feelings of peace and neutrality to slow his mission.

"Did anybody hear that?" Claudine asked as we stood around the kitchen island.

"Hear what?" I inquired, straining my ears. _Could he already be here? _

"My cell phone is ringing," Claudine announced and flounced out of the room.

"Isn't she staying upstairs?" Felix asked warily, "How could she _possibly_ have heard that?" There was something in his eyes that betrayed a touch of suspicion. He gave Adrian a sharp look, and Adrian rolled his eyes.

Austin returned to the previous subject. "It's my bachelor party, guys! I've been dying to see what the big surprise is all day…" He kept complaining as I gathered the plates from everybody and dropped them in the dishwasher.

"Sookie, you know you don't have to do that!" Adrian said, ignoring Austin. "We have people who get paid to do the cleaning."

"I'm sure you do, but I am perfectly capable of throwing some dirty plates into a dishwasher. Besides, you guys have been so generous to us. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you…"

Felix was chuckling as he said, "Adrian, I think you've got a keeper here. I think that Sookie's the first girl who has ever offered to do anything around here."

"Usually they walk in, see the house, and then ask for Adrian's black card," Austin stated sourly.

"What's a black card?" I said as the room erupted in laughter.

"Yeah, you've definitely got a keeper!" Felix laughed as Adrian came to stand behind me and wrap his arms around my waist.

At that, Claudine returned, looking a bit frazzled- well as frazzled as a super-model-esque fairy can look. "I have to go," She seemed surprised at having to relay that bit of reality.

I hopped up to Claudine, grabbing her hand, "What's wrong, Claudine?" My bonded was forefront in my thoughts.

She waved her other hand at the group, "Oh, I don't know. Claude left me a message and I guess there have been some strange incidents at the club."

"Her brother," Amelia mouthed to Ethan who was looking crestfallen.

"How are you gonna get home? It's so late! You should probably just wait until morning to leave," Ethan stated.

"Unfortunately, I don't think this is something that can wait until morning."

"Oh, that really sucks," Austin lamented, visions of naked Claudine assaulting my brain via his thoughts against my will. "Do you want me to drive you? I wouldn't mind…"

"Hey there bud," Ethan interjected. "If anybody's gonna take Claudine to Miami, it's going to be me. The name Lily English ring any bells? Wedding bells, perhaps?"

If looks could kill, then Ethan was absolutely, definitely dead at Austin's glare.

"Well, thanks to both of you gentlemen for your kind offers, but I will not be needing a ride from either of you. I ran into Perry in the hallway and he was gracious enough to set up transportation for my return. Ladies, will you help me in my room for a minute?"

We nodded and followed Claudine up to her bedroom. "Okay Tinkerbell, what's really going on?" Amelia said as soon as the door was shut.

"I love the fairy Tinkerbell," Claudine gushed as she gathered up some stray clothes from the floor, "She was a merciless killing machine when I was a child. She drove people mad!"

I was giving her a blank look as I imagined the Disney pixie brandishing a bloody dagger.

"When I was young, those things were of interest to me. I _am_ a fairy after all."

"Sure, sure," Amelia said. "But why are you really leaving?"

"Oh. It actually _was_ because of Claude's message. I'm not sure what to think… I'd really hoped to get some more information out of Marcela the other night at Osiris, but things just went so wrong."

"You're not going back there are you?" I said, pacing the room as I remembered the horrifying events of that night and the strange feeling I had gotten there.

"Of course not, my friend. I'm just going to race back to South Beach for the rest of my things and then hop home to deal with the issue."

"Did he say specifically what was wrong?" Amelia asked as she sat down on the plush carpet at the foot of the bed.

"I guess our club, _Pixie's Thick Stick_, has had some strange guests the past few weeks, and he said things were getting out of hand. That's all I know."

"_Pixie's Thick Stick,_ huh?"

"Not my idea," Claudine grimaced. "I would have gone with something a little more subtle."

I chuckled as I asked, "So, is Perry really getting you a ride?"

"Sort-of, he'll drop me off at the end of the block so I can cross the passage without attracting any unwanted attention."

"Good thinking," Amelia quipped.

Claudine's energy changed abruptly. I turned to face her and Amelia looked up from the floor. "I really wish I was staying tonight, girls. There's something I have to tell you- and I need you to listen. Something is wrong, and I think I've finally figured out what's been bugging me here- "

Someone was knocking at the door and before she could finish her sentence Claudine was being ushered out the door by Perry. "Do you have all of your belongings?" He asked as he took her arm and guided her down the hallway to the staircase.

Murmured bits of conversation floated back to Amelia and I, who were still frozen, dumbstruck in the room. "What do you think she was going to say?" I asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure as hell not going to just sit here."

We both hurried down the stairs to try to catch up to my fairy godmother before she left. When we got to the kitchen, the guys were still there and Ethan was slumped over in his chair, his face pressed against the cool granite. "I can't believe she's gone," he murmured, "It's like they just gave me Christmas, let me hold Christmas, and then grabbed it out of my hands saying, _Never mind. No Christmas for you, ever again in life_."

It was then that I noticed Austin lying on the floor on the far side of the kitchen island in front of the stove. "You might as well just stuff me in the oven and turn it to six hundred degrees. I have no purpose anymore."

_Holy shit,_ I thought. I had no idea about the side-effects of quitting Claudine cold-turkey. _She is a very powerful woman._

"I take it we missed her?" I asked.

"One minute she was here, and the next minute she was gone," Austin said from a very dark place.

"Son of a…" Amelia stated.

***

My mind was focused on trying to dissect what Claudine had started to tell us as I wandered out to the pool and sat on the water's edge, kicking my legs absently in the cold water.

"Something wrong?" Adrian had appeared from the shadows of the evening.

"Maybe," I replied, noncommittally.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked as he meandered to my side on the edge of the water.

"Not right now."

"Okay." He threw an arm around my shoulders and we looked over the infinity pool to the ocean beyond.

I was very conscious of his hip pressed against mine as we took in the view. I could feel my body warming at his touch, and the breeze of the moonlit sky made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. _It's full moon,_ I thought to myself in a peaceful state. I thought of Sam and Tray and whether they would be out gallivanting in the woods of Bon Temps tonight.

This was just so far out of my comfort zone. Who was I kidding, hanging out with the _Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams_ high society? As the anxiety rose, so did I, and Adrian was left to stare up at me as I pushed away the panic. I _needed_ to check in with Eric, so I ripped open the bond to try to touch him mentally. I needed the anchor to my other life.

My EPS said that he was no longer propelling through space towards me. He was near, but not near, and he felt… chastened. That was a new one, coming from Eric. _Maybe he didn't care after all_… I realized that I had been hoping to make him jealous, and that after everything, _it didn't matter. I didn't matter._ I had been fooling myself.

But there was someone here who did care. There was someone who was worried about my violent mood swings yet who seemed to want me as I am. And he was staring up at me from the side of the pool, waiting for me to break the silence.

I decided. I would not break the silence with words. I jogged to the beautiful man, who rose up meet me, recognizing the unmistakable look in my eyes. "Sookie," he began, caution in his eyes.

I beat him to the words that he never got the chance to say, wrapping my arms around the top of his hips and kissing him with all of the passion I could latch on to. I opened my eyes and found his open too. His chocolate-cherry eyes held need, wariness, and undisguised lust.

"Adrian," I whispered, as he lifted me off the ground, his mouth rediscovering the shape of my jaw, the curve of the nape of my neck. I wrapped my legs around him as he walked steadily while kissing me around the back of the house.

_****…Unfortunately, as I wrote and I wrote and I wrote, I needed to set some things up, and the chapter would have been over twenty five pages long if I published it the way it was. Luckily for you, the next chapter is already finished and complete with Citrus, Viking, Ecstasy, and Intrigue! **_

_**So, I will make a deal with you: As soon as I hit 37 reviews, I will immediately publish the next chapter. Scouts Honor!****_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**-SJ**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Who knew bribery was such an effective tool?? Thanks for all the astounding reviews for Chap. 12. For your kindness: your reward is here in 18 pages of um, you'll see. Please keep reviewing! They're some of my favorite things….**_

_**Disclaimer: I am not Charlaine Harris. I don't own her stories, characters, or intellectual property….. I do however like to dress up like her on the weekends and play with her imaginary friends. Please don't sue!!!**_

**Chapter 13**

I was annoyed at myself as I finished my flight. I had never forced a woman to be with me. They usually came to me on their knees, begging for my companionship, which often led to them doing other things to me while on their knees. That was before though. Back then I would go through females like Bill goes through hair gel.

She had had multiple conflicting emotions during my rest. As seemed to be my usual routine as of late, I opened our bond as I slept, and I could tell She was on a roller-coaster of sorts during the day. I felt Her humor, Her stubborn streak, I had felt Her lust (ugh.), and nausea (which I hadn't felt in hundreds of years). At one point I became alarmed because I could tell that She was terrified about some turn of events. The dirt that covered my body had felt as though it weighed several tons as I struggled to be of any sort of assistance to Sookie. I had to force my body not to move when I remembered that the dirt was my only guard from death.

The fear led to relief which again led to lust. I howled in my shallow grave, but mostly ended up with dirt and dust in my mouth. It was disgraceful to react in such a manner to this woman. I had never met a woman who would not yield to me in all of the years that I have walked the earth.

So as I landed in Miami, windblown and covered with grime I decided it was best to take my next steps cautiously. Gawking onlookers pointed, wide-eyed as I made an over-ocean approach, gliding smoothly onto the sand. I threw off my shirt and pants and jogged to the water's edge in light blue skivvies, dunking under the swell to rid my body of the filth that coated my skin. The water tickled my nerve endings and I recalled the years I had lived here so long ago.

I hustled back out of the water to check my internal radar for Sookie. She was close, but not nearby. _Shit_, I thought. She was no longer in South Beach. I could breathe minute traces of Her scent though, so I knew She had been here. I took Her scent in, and it was a balm for my battered sense of well-being. _I need Her, now._

Without bothering to redress, I followed Her bouquet through the remaining beach-goers and to a luxury hotel situated on the beach. _The Ritz, my Sookie does have good taste._ I grinned as I made my way into the elevator as the concierge just shook his head. _This is the fun part_, I chuckled, pressing the button for each floor. Her scent was strong here, and the relief I felt at being so close to Her was tangible. As each door opened I stuck my head out of the elevator to let Her scent guide me to the right floor. On the third floor an older white-haired woman entered the elevator with me. She smiled quietly when she noticed all of the floor buttons lit up.

"You look like a man on a mission," she chose her words carefully.

The door opened to the fourth floor. I stepped out, sniffed delicately, and then returned to the carriage.

"It seems I've lost something very important."

She nodded in understanding. "Can I give you a piece of advice, young man?" I raised an eyebrow at the irony. She continued on without my permission. "Life is short. Keep the things you value by your side, otherwise you'll wake up one day and you'll have forgotten just how important those things really were- and when you do, you won't be able to find them anymore."

I just stared at the woman in silence as the door to the fifth floor slid open. I tore my gaze away from her face and went on the landing. _This_ _is Her floor. _I turned, and opened my mouth to tell the woman something, but the door had already closed.

Her words were echoing in my head as I searched for Sookie's room. When I discerned her suite, I realized there was a stronger, more present scent that I had missed in my mad dash. My nostrils flared of their own volition. The door wasn't shut tightly. I tried to mentally barricade my nose as I prepared to enter. This would have to be done delicately.

"Claudine," I sang as I swung the door inward.

"Dang it, Eric! Don't you need an invitation to come in here?" Claudine was crouched over a heavy trunk, methodically replacing her things.

"Hotels have different rules, my fairy friend," I murmured as I started to look around the room trying to find some detail that would lead me to my bonded. Tendrils of fairy scent wafted into my sensitive nose. My body was begging me to turn to the fairy, face-on- but I fought the cravings.

"Why are you here Eric? You should put on some pants." I could tell she was angry and that she wished she were anywhere but here with me.

"Why are _you_ here Claudine? Shouldn't you be guarding Sookie?"

"I have business to attend to, Eric. And I don't answer to you."

I strode to the balcony, opening the door to put some fresh air into the room and diffuse the intoxicating scent. "I am looking for Sookie." I felt like a junkie trying not to use a ready needle.

"Do you think I don't know how you hurt Sookie?" Her anger was mounting and her voice rose. _I will not look at her_. "I know you burned her, Eric. You could have _killed_ her- did you know she blacked out and hurt herself very badly?" I felt a rush of guilt- believe me, not an emotion I am very familiar with. However, I kept my composure externally.

"This is not a game, vampire. This is her _life_ and, fortunately for _her_, she only gets one. You can't screw with her like some pathetic fangbanger."

"She is no fangbanger to me!" I was trying to stay under control, but this fairy was being extremely insolent.

"That is a lie! Because of your indentured servitude she has been hurt many times and almost killed more times than that. Is she just a slave to you then? Tell me, Northman! You want her- but you want your independence more!" I could feel her pacing back and forth across the room. "It's time to make a decision. If you love someone, you are brave enough to offer your life for theirs. And you sure as heck don't go out of your way to cause that person to suffer."

That stung, and all of my instincts were warring. A pillow flew at my head. I had never received such a scolding, and my body told me to kill her, but my head reminded me that I still needed information.

"Sookie and I have much to discuss, fairy. Tell me where She is?"

"Why? So you can swoop in like a bat out of hell like you always do and ruin the first opportunity she's ever really had to be happy?"

"With who, that no-style _human_?" I sneered as I remembered the way he looked through her eyes as he kissed her hungrily.

"That _human_ has been better to her in the last few days than any of you have been to her in the last three years. Is it such a horrible fate- to have someone she can cook with? Would it be so awful for her to be able to enjoy the daylight with a man who thinks she's special and not crazy, like most humans do? Or is it the part that he could give her everything she's ever dreamed of that really makes the situation so unbearable for you."

I crouched down with my face outside, sniffing the ocean breeze. "Does She no longer want me?" I squinted my eyes at the night as I asked one question I never dreamed I'd have to ask in a thousand years.

Claudine had paused in her pacing and was silent just a moment too long before she answered, "Give her a chance to be happy, Eric. This man can give her contentment." I took the chance and turned to look at the beautiful fairy. She was fighting tears. "Let the bond close- I know it's weak. It will be better for Sookie. She can't take much more from you…"

I looked out the window again as I pondered her words. _But I _need_ Sookie_, I thought as I watched Claudine latch her trunks to prepare to leave through the reflection.

"Look, I know you mean well, most of the time, it's just your nature to pillage. All I can tell you is she took a boat to get where she will stay the night, and she'll be back tomorrow. I am going to ask, no beg you; Please don't go looking for her. Give her one more night to be carefree before you shatter her well-being. Better yet, go home. Go home to Shreveport and talk to her when she returns."

Before I could respond, Claudine was gone and I was able to relax from my position half in, half out of the suite. I inhaled greedily that which I had denied myself. I went to Sookie's things, and ran my hands over a creamy nightgown.

_Was I taking away Her choices? Did I care? Could I give Her this- even though_ _it would rip me to shreds?_

I ruminated over these questions as I grabbed a hotel robe and slippers and headed for the door. I had other needs to take care of. I wandered down the still busy Washington Avenue to find that some stores were still open late. I picked out clothes to wear for the remainder of my stay, though who knew how long that would be? The young brunette behind the counter asked me coyly if I had eaten yet, but I had no hunger that I was aware of.

I decided that I would not chase after Sookie tonight. I would wait for her to come to me, because surely She could feel my nearness, and would recognize my need. I would let Her make the decision, and if She no longer wanted me I would do my best to allow our bond to close.

I reached the hotel I had come to know well in my travels. It was a completely secure, safe boutique hotel called _Sanguine Exsanguinations._ I needed to check in with Griffith, the Sheriff of this area. How this guy got the gig was a mystery to me. Griffith was a tall, lanky red-head with a serious inferiority complex, and though last I heard he was mainstreaming, I had to wonder how well that was really working out.

Ten minutes later I was walking into Osiris, searching for my old acquaintance. _This place is weird_, I thought as I looked into the tandem sarcophagi. I gave the bartender my name and waited while he relayed the information to his Sheriff. I was shooing a forty-something, balding, accountant type away when the bartender returned. "Griff told me to let you sample our house special. He's on his way. I'm Sawyer- you Eric Northman from Louisiana? I've heard about you."

I nodded and watched as Sawyer put on thick gloves and unlocked a small silver refrigerator that looked more like a safe than a refrigerator. I was trying to understand why they kept their drinks locked up. His fangs extended as he poured a tumbler half-full of blood from a pitcher which I looked at in disbelief. "I haven't had a drink in well over twenty-four hours young one. I don't think that's going to do it."

"Ah, but this is the _Blood of Isis_. You will be satisfied," He smirked as he passed the glass across the bar.

I paused and sniffed the liquid. "Is this what I think it is?" I felt my mouth water and my fangs lowering slightly- this explained the scent. Sawyer raised an eyebrow.

I knew he was there long before he said anything. Griffith was behind me and to the right, watching my every move. "Old friend, why don't you come join me," I called over my shoulder without releasing my gaze from the life-giving fluid.

Instantaneously he was at my side. "What brings you to town, Sheriff?"

In my many years, I have found it much better to play your cards close to your chest. "It has been many years since my last vacation, Sheriff. What better destination than your great city?"

Griffith gave me a skeptical look. "And how long do you plan to be in the area?"

"One week at the most, although I have a feeling I may be called back earlier due to business."

"How is business at Fangtasia?" Griffith inquired.

"Good, always good. But it looks like you've come up with a cutting-edge way to push out the competition," I said, raising my glass to him.

He gave me a fangy smile. "I've noticed you haven't tried it yet."

I stuck only the tip of my pinky in the heavenly liquid and pulled it out to sniff the aroma once again. "I don't really know if I'm up to it tonight."

"Long flight?" Griffith asked.

"You might say that." I countered as the heat rose in my body. "Excuse me for a moment," I said to the Sheriff as I walked casually to the restroom. I found it relatively empty and screamed, "Exit," with fangs extended to the males using the toilets.

She was doing it again to me. Her proximity made his face that much clearer in my eyes as I watched their progress. I shut myself in one of the stalls, pleading with body not to lose its temper_. How could I let Her do this to me? How could I live through this? Didn't I just decide to let Her have her fun tonight?_

***

His warm arms held me tightly as he used an empty finger to unlatch the French door that led to his master suite. With my legs still wrapped firmly around his hips, we entered the darkness of his room. He placed me carefully on the luxurious comforter and said, "Are you sure about this?"

My body responded urgently but there was a curious feeling of emptiness coming from somewhere deep inside of me. I decided to ignore my soul and let my body speak for itself.

"I'm sure about you." I reached up to feel my way through the dark for him. I would ensure that my shields would not slip and ruin this for me, I thought as I found his arm. I traced my fingers down its length and took his hand to my lips. As I kissed his palm, Adrian reached to turn the dim light on so that we could see each other.

He came to rest above me and I craned my neck to reach his lips, they were waiting and his kisses deepened as his mouth became more and more urgent on mine. He worked his way over to my ear, pulling and biting gently on the lobe. I sucked my breath in as I savored the sensation.

"You can bite as hard as you want," I murmured, "I kinda like it…"

Adrian ran his lips and teeth down my neck to my collarbone but didn't bite. It was different without fangs touching skin. _Not bad,_ I told myself, _just different._

I ached to be touched as his lips left my neck to unzip my white sundress. He moved with excruciating slowness and it felt as if I could hear each notch of the zipper unlatching, one by one by one. Finally, the zipper was released, and I felt the dress go slack on my sun-kissed skin. I turned to let him watch me as I stared into his face and slowly brought the dress down to the floor.

I could hear Adrian's breathing quicken as I stood in my prettiest matching bra and panty set that was a pale yellow with scalloped lace edges. I let my body take over as I closed the gap between us, unbuckling the leather belt that was a barrier to my release. When he pulled his shorts down and kicked them away with his shoes I reached up to relieve him of his navy blue shirt. He stopped me, saying with a wicked glint in his eyes, "An item for an item."

_Okay, that's how he wants to play this_, I thought as I smirked up at him. "I guess that means it's my turn," I said as I turned my back to him, offering him my bra for unhooking.

"I want to watch," he said huskily.

I shook my head and responded coyly, "Oh, you _will_ see… Unhook it." I was much more confident in my sexual prowess after my experiences the past few years, and I knew there was much to be said for delayed gratification when it came to sex.

He ran his hands up my back in a way that sent a chill up my spine, and released the hooks of my bra with nimble fingers. I held the bra in my hand, my back still toward the beautiful man and lifted it out to my side, breathing out as I dropped it to the carpet.

_Shields up, Sookie_, I reminded myself as I had allowed his thoughts to permeate my resolve. He had been thinking that he needed me more than he had ever needed another woman, and that he knew I was teasing him but he didn't know how much longer he could hold out…He thought I was beautiful…

That was enough to make my body burn for this man, in a delightful way. I spun around to face Adrian and I had his shirt off in a flash. He responded in kind, feral, uncontrolled noises coming from his throat as he threw me on the bed and lifted my legs up to pull my panties off. His mouth was crushing mine and his hands rubbed, massaged, and stroked every exposed inch of my skin. I pulled myself onto one elbow and used my free hand to yank at his black boxer briefs, crying out in bliss as I rubbed the firm, warm skin of his ass. I gripped it tight, then kneaded down his tree-trunk thighs. He took his lips off my skin momentarily and growled at the feeling.

Before I knew it he was back on me, a hand under my back and his mouth grasping my right nipple. I arched up my back to the suction of his mouth on my breast, and as he took a quick nip at the pink flesh, I batted Eric's face from my mind. He ignored the other breast and licked down my stomach, stopping at my belly button.

"May I?" He asked looking up my body. I had no words left, so I nodded.

I had to put a pillow over my face once he began to lick me. His face lit up when he really looked at me for the first time, and as he stuck an exploratory finger inside of me he whispered, "You're so tight."Next thing I knew he had four fingers inside, all pulsing simultaneously at the ridges of my g-spot, while his tongue and mouth did gymnastics over the top of my clit. I had heard the term hurricane-tongue before, but now I knew exactly what that meant… The pillow was probably the only reason the fire department wasn't called.

I felt myself reaching the brink of an incredibly intense orgasm and I threw the pillow off my face and against the wall. Adrian paused and grinned, saying, "Not so fast!" To my complete devastation he removed his fingers and mouth before I could climax and focused his attentions on my thighs and calves, making goose-bumps rise on my chest.

"Adrian! Please!" I cried as I reached up grabbing his thick cock that felt as hard as a diamond. I was on my knees in front of him as fast as I could and had my mouth around the hot flesh. I cupped his balls and gave him one good suck with a swirl of my tongue around the shaft. He bucked in surprise. I stopped cold, looking up at my tormentor and said, "Finish me, I'll finish you…"

With a hungry look in his eye, Adrian tossed me back down onto my back and his tongue was gliding over my clit even before my head touched the duvet. Again, when I closed my eyes, I saw Eric's face looking down at me. "_Lover_?" He asked ice-blue eyes blazing, a worried look clouding his face.

"Look at me," Adrian said, "I want you to watch." _Oh my God!_ It was like Eric was speaking through Adrian, and I didn't know how to feel. I screamed silently as I peeled my eyes open at look down at Adrian, who was waiting patiently for my attention. As he locked his cherry-chocolate eyes on mine, I tried to lose myself in the sensations that were taking over. My toes curled over the end of the bed at the explosive climax I was approaching, and I cried out at my warring emotions. I let go and rode the out of body ecstasy to completion, and the spasms I felt between my legs were the only things that let me know I was still inside of my skin.

Adrian was kissing me then, and I opened my shields up, just a little, to make sure I was still in reality.

_I could do that to her all night if she would come that same way each time… We should stay in bed for days…_

Locking my shields back into place, I stood up and pulled Adrian by his ass over with me out the French doors and onto the patio. He moaned softly as I took his cock firmly in both hands and positioned him against the wall, my back to the elements. "A little birdie told me you like exotic things…" I whispered up to him as I lowered myself down on my knees to the ground.

I took the tip of this penis in my mouth with stiff lips, drawing pictures on the head with my tongue. _He's ready to play, _I thought to myself as I caressed the base of his shaft with one hand and cupped his balls with the other. His fingers tangled in my loose locks when I took as much of him into my mouth as possible. "My God," Adrian moaned when I started to release him, then licked a bit further down the shaft than I had previously. I felt myself hum in pleasure as he grew even more rigid in my mouth and I could tell he was close to completion. When his fingers tightened in my hair and I knew he was seconds away, I took my mouth off of his cock and stopped, looking up at him.

"Something wrong?" I taunted as his eyes became saucers, the picture of shock. I shrugged, as he seemed to be unable to string a sentence together, and lowered my head to focus on his balls. I took them in my mouth and tongued them until I could feel his knees shaking.

"Sookie! Play fair!" He cried when I glanced back up at him with an evil grin.

"All's fair in love… and war," I quoted, submitting to his request. I latched back on to his penis firmly, sucking for all I was worth. Soon his breathing sped back up and his hands twisted in my hair, and all I needed was several more licks before he came inside of my mouth murmuring my name all the while. My legs were tired so I allowed myself to sit down on the patio, once there I thought it best to lay the rest of the way down. Before I knew it, Adrian was on his back next to me.

"That was probably the best orgasm I've ever had," he said, out of breath.

I peered sideways at him from slightly parted lashes. "Mmm?" I said drunkenly.

He turned onto his side and started rubbing his hand over my skin while I pondered why I thought I had heard Eric's voice earlier. I couldn't believe I was suffering from delusions of that nature- I mean, I heard voices all the time, but it truly had felt like he was there. I felt my nipples harden in the gentle breeze when Adrian stroked the tips of my breasts.

I turned to my side and reached out with my fingers to touch his length. He was on the rise. He licked his lips seductively as I whispered, "Are you ready for round two?"

"For you, the world," He responded as he was kissing my already dripping wet pussy again.

"Come _inside_ of me," I begged, my body calling for his. He held up a finger, ran back inside the room and returned with a condom and a pillow, which he placed under my still-sore head. Without a word he rolled the condom onto himself and was thrusting into me. He was wide, but it was pure delight when he easily hit my deepest wall. I moaned his name as he began grinding down on me over and over, angling his body so that he rubbed my clit as he pushed in. I held on to his biceps as the intensity increased, and he leaned down to nip and suck at my nipples. It was overwhelming, like his body was made to fit mine, like all these malfunctioning parts came together to work perfectly when he was deep inside of me.

I closed my eyes and angled my head back so that my nipples were that much more accessible to Adrian's mouth, and as I did, Eric's voice knocked me out of my reverie. _Sookie, my Lover, he will never be yours as I am yours… _I looked around wildly to find Eric, but quickly realized he was in my head. A thrust and a grind to the top of my clit reminded me who was making love to me and I shook my head minutely to push Eric out. _I waited… You never came for me,_ I rather foolishly scolded the delusion in my head. _I loved you… You cared nothing for me, _I thought stupidly, because if you can't be honest in your own brain, where can you be honest?

I ignored the sharp ache from my heart as I lost myself in the moment with Adrian, grasping that gorgeous ass in my hands and thrusting in synch with him. He pulled me to a sitting position, and we wrapped our legs around each other, mouth against mouth, tongue tasting tongue, bodies melting together as we both came at the exact same moment in time.

The sex had exhausted me, and I lay my head on his shoulder, still in his lap with his penis somewhere deep inside of me.

He lifted me up and carried me back inside the room, laying me gently under the covers of the king-sized bed. I giggled under my breath, _king-sized_, that certainly was an apt way of putting things.

Adrian was cuddled up behind me, and slowly brushed my long, thoroughly tousled hair to the side with his fingers. "What happened here, beautiful woman?" He asked as he stroked along my back.

Drowsy with pleasure, I answered without thinking, knowing he was referring to the pale scars that marred my back, "You ever heard of a maenad?"

He sucked in his breath and after a long pause responded, "Those creatures do not exist except in myth."

I turned and looked Adrian dead on, saying, "I told you there were worse things than guns, Adrian."

"But Felix-" Adrian was cut off when the pounding started from the hallway. _Oh no, is he here?_ I threw the covers over my head and tossed my shields aside to read for mental (or lack of mental) signatures. It was three humans. _Thank God_! I was elated when I realized it was Felix and friends, so I removed the blankets that were a flimsy shelter to begin with.

Someone knocked loudly on the door, in rapid succession. Felix's voice shouted loudly, "Adrian, it's time. Get your ass out here!!! We have somewhere to be!!!"

"Do you mind?" Adrian asked with a gleam in his eye, "I gotta see what he's got planned!"

"Get going!" I urged, "But maybe you should put some shoes on…" I winked at Adrian as I imagined him leaving the house in only his sneakers.

"I'll be back soon, I think. Will you wait up for me?"

"I'll try," I said, thinking I would be lucky to be awake for even another hour.

"You and Amelia help yourselves to anything in the house, movies, food, pool, anything that's mine is yours," He said as he threw on some True Religion jeans and a white v-neck shirt with sneakers.

***

After I had cleaned myself up in the fairy-free bathroom I went to see what Amelia was up to. She was parked in the theatre room with a bucket of popcorn and can of Dr. Pepper immersed in the newest Judd Apatow movie.

When I entered she put it on pause. She waggled her brows at me and said, "Somebody looks relaxed!" I couldn't hold back the grin as I ignored her and hopped over the cushy couch, grabbing a handful of buttery popcorn.

"Which one is this? The one with the penis humor or the one with the cursing?" I asked.

"A little from Column A, a little from Column B," she replied.

"Love it!"

"Well you sure are in a stellar mood," She pried, without prying.

"Let's just say things are looking up for me," I responded demurely.

After the hilarity ensued, and the movie was over, Amelia and I decided it would be fun to cook for the guys. "I rarely get to cook for human men!" I joked as we looked over the contents of their refrigerator and decided to make lasagna with garlic bread and a caesar salad.

"Can I be of any assistance?" A baritone voice called from behind where we were assembling our ingredients.

"Perry!" Amelia said, "You scared me!" The older gentleman wandered around the kitchen island to us and all of a sudden Claudine's pre-empted caution rang through my head.

"I am sorry to have surprised you," He said. "I must admit it isn't often that I see others cooking in this kitchen."

"I hope its okay," Amelia was looking admiringly at the Merman and wondering if she could buy a gill or two from him. Everybody has their price right?

"No," Perry stated, opening the pantry and surveying its contents. "I think it is just wonderful. These boys haven't had a real woman's influence in many years. Just a lot of, what is the term? Gold-miners?"

"Ah, gold-diggers?" I supplied, picturing Prada-wearing social climbers wearing hardhats with flashlights attached, lugging shovels along a dusty road.

"That must be hard, to lose your mom at such a young age," Amelia said as she started mincing garlic on a cutting board.

_Hello! Parents died in a flash flood!_ I was thinking a bit bitterly in Amelia's direction and then wondered if it would be better to lose your mom the way I lost mine or if it would be better to lose her Adrian's way. _At least that way she'd still get to be alive._ "It was incredibly difficult on both of the boys, but it seemed to have changed Felix for a long time. I barely saw him for a good five years, but once he returned his spirit seemed to have healed a bit… When his father passed, I worried it would take him back to that dark time. I think his reuniting with Adrian helped out a lot."

I paused from where I was browning the meat, "Oh no Perry! I forgot that you were a vegetarian- I was hoping that you could join us for a late, late dinner. You know what? I'll make half of the lasagna without meat- will that work?"

"You are too kind, Ms. Stackhouse. You don't have to cook for me, though you probably don't realize just how much I appreciate the offer. However, I must ask, how did you know I'm a vegetarian?"

I gulped trying to come up with a suitable response as Amelia jumped in, "Give it up Perry! We know you're a Merman." Perry started looking around wildly for the nearest exit. "Calm down! We don't want to hurt you. You really didn't think that Claudine would tell us?"

"I, ah, I don't know what you are talking about! What did you call me? _Merman_? Is that some sort of new fad with the teenagers going on right now?" You had to hand it to him for trying, but the dude couldn't lie to save his own life. _Light bulb moment: And that is why they are going extinct!_

Perry seemed to recognize that we weren't buying what he was selling, and backed up. "Please, don't tell the brothers! They can't know my true identity; it would mean the end of my life." He was stacking and unstacking multiple cans and sauces at breakneck speed and I watched in stunned silence. Was this some sort of OCD thing?

"Why was Claudine with you anyway? Sookie, I have heard whisperings of your name and heard of your abilities both from internal and external factions, and I must say you have my respect, but who are you in all of this?" He was pointing a long reedy finger at Amelia.

"I am just a girl from Louisiana, a friend of Sookie's along for the ride." I was still pondering the whole internal and external factions thing when Amelia surprised me with her omission. I kept my face blank as I added Amelia's garlic and some fresh onions to the meat while Amelia finished the salad.

"It is a hard life," Perry continued guardedly, leaving the jars back in their original places and drooping onto a barstool. "Almost everyone I know, excuse me _knew_, has been murdered. Merpeople are considered to be such a prize that there is a bounty for our heads in nearly every race. And when I say for our heads, I literally mean for our heads."

"How awful," I muttered trying to imagine having to conceal your true self from nearly everyone you meet. "How come you weren't scared of Claudine?"

Perry's face lit up at the mention of my fairy godmother. "Claudine will be an angel, I can guarantee that. She is almost as pure in spirit as the original Merfolk, I have watched her seraph-morph progress for many years now. I don't know if you realize this, but not all of her kind are as noble as she."

"She is something else," I confirmed as Amelia and I finished lining the pan with layers of noodles, sauce, and on half of the pan, with meat. Amelia grabbed the lasagna and placed it in the oven while I set the timer.

"You ladies are like a well-oiled machine," Perry remarked.

"We should be," Amelia said, "We're roommates. Y'all want something to drink?" She asked Perry and me as she went to the 'fridge for a Dr. Pepper refill.

"Water for me please," I said while Perry just looked dumbfounded.

"Perry? Do Mermen drink?"

E cleared his throat, "Uh, sure. I would love a glass of juice." He looked from Amelia to me and then back again. "Are you sure you're not planning to kill me?"

I placed the tips of my fingers together in a spot-on Mr. Burns impersonation and turned to Amelia, "Did you remember to lace the OJ with powdered oleander?"

"But of course!"

"Exxx-cell-ent."

As we cracked up, Perry face went from one of shock to one of laughter. We spent the next half an hour debating the pros and cons of ocean versus freshwater swimming and how Perry managed to stay under the radar (moonlight pool swimming). His schedule was quite a bit different than that of the shifters, though he had on occasion had opportunity to swim with some of the local water-weres he had come to trust. He assured us that were-manatees were by far the most honorable of the water-weres and that if you were content to swim all of two miles per hour, you would have a lovely companion.

"Oh, lasagna's finished!" Amelia sang happily as the timer went off and she pulled the pan out of the oven. "When do you think they'll be home?" Amelia asked Perry.

"I honestly have no idea where they went, but Felix has been pretty amped up about this whole trip for a while now. One never knows what Felix has planned…" Perry looked down at his hands drumming the polished granite.

"I hope I'm not interfering too much here," I asked hesitantly, "But I was wondering what the issue is between you and Felix?" Amelia turned to look up from where she was buttering a loaf of French bread.

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you this story, ladies. Maybe you should ask Adrian about it…" His voice trailed off as his eyes watered a little bit.

"Oh, Perry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you in any way."

"I know, it's been such a long time since anybody but Adrian has shown me such kindness… These boys would be lucky to have you ladies in their lives." He hesitated then said, "Amelia, you are the first woman Felix has shown this sort of gentle interest in since he first returned home."

I tried to imagine Felix any other way than the fun-loving adventurer I knew now. "Really?" She squeaked.

"Yes, you must be a special girl, a very special girl in fact. I can read people pretty well; it is one of my gifts. Would you tell me about your gift Sookie?"

I relayed the facts of my telepathy to Perry, length, human to human communication, the supe-blockage, etc. I told him that his thoughts were opaquely veiled and were presented in a language I had never-before heard. He grinned at that, calling it _Finnish_, which Amelia thought was hysterical. He looked panicky when I told him about my shields and how I needed to use them to get along in society.

He was saying, "You mustn't keep your shields up on a constant basis, Ms. Stackhouse! There is much out there for you to be wary of and you can't-" But was cut of f by yelling and screaming coming from the front door.

The sounds were the unmistakable noises of fear, panic and desperation. "What the hell is going on??" I yelled as we three raced toward the heavy front door. Perry unlocked the deadbolt deftly and had the door open in an instant.

"Nononononono!" Amelia was beyond words when we saw what lay beyond the doors. All of the men were strapped with weapons and knives, and all of the men were dragging something. Adrian and Austin were each hauling enormous blackened parcels into the house, while Ethan and Felix pulled in medium-sized hefty bundles.

It was then that I noticed that the bundles were leaking… And they had legs- well at least half of them did. One had a tail.

"Just get them in the house!" Felix was looking prouder than a new father and smiling as he pulled his take into the kitchen.

"What the FUCK is this?" Adrian was screaming as I tried to take in the horrifying picture before me. "What did you have us do?!!"

"I am gonna kill you, you sonofabitch," Ethan shouted as he placed his load on the tile and raced forward to Felix, punching him in the jaw and knocking him to the floor. As he started kicking Felix, Perry stepped forward to grab Ethan's arms and hold him off of Felix. What I had seen as black was red. The bodies were covered in blood.

Austin just collapsed on the floor, his face bloody, looking as green as a human can look. "You are a psychopath!!" Ethan screamed and spat on Felix.

Felix started laughing maniacally from the floor, "And he's one of them too! I know your secret." He pointed up at Perry. His face changed to deadly, "And guess what, you're next you vile piece of waste."

Perry closed his eyes and released Ethan, who resumed kicking Felix.

"He knew what he was taking us to do." Austin said blankly. "This was his plan all along. I'm a murderer." He turned to his side and threw up on the imported floor.

Amelia was clutching my arm like I was her only lifeline as the voices filtered in.

_We were hunting! These were fucking animals- I saw them, I swear I did!_

_I'm going to jail for murder….. I can't believe it… They're gonna fry all of our asses… He's cut clear in half… Oh my God!_

_Now they have to believe me… Three more of those wretched creatures will never set foot on the earth again…_

One mind was going over the course of events in minute detail.

I shouted, "_Pythons_? You were hunting _pythons_??"

All the heads in the room snapped up to look at me as if noticing Amelia and me for the first time. "Sookie!" Adrian blurted out, "Oh, my God! You've got to get out of here- I don't want you going down for this!"

Ethan interjected, "I'm not going down for shit! We gotta get rid of these, whatever the fuck these things are!"

"They are called shifters you idiots!" Amelia screamed, shaking like a leaf. "And they are just humans that change at the full-moon. And now they're dead because of you!" I'd forgotten it was the full moon.

One of the were-pythons was twitching slightly and I _heard_ Felix right as he was going for his bowie knife. "Adrian, stop him! He's got a knife in his back right pocket!"

Adrian dove for his brother, but Felix was faster. He had the knife out in a flash and slashed deep down Adrian's forearm. Adrian winced in disbelief as Felix lurched forward and took the one lone barely living shifter into his arms, his hands holding his head and steadying his body with a knife to the neck.

"How did you know about my knife?" Felix said calmly from the floor. "HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE KNIFE?!" He screamed at me and Amelia stepped in front of me, shielding my face with her arm.

Perry had been bent over looking at the bodies. "You owe this man nothing, Sookie," he said rising slowly.

_I can't go to jail_…. A disconsolate voice pierced my brain.

I shook my head to try to empty the extra voices and center in on Felix. He was singularly focused and that probably scared me more than anything.

I stepped around Amelia, who immediately collapsed against Perry. "Amelia, that one is still alive, if only for a few more minutes. Is there anything you can do?" Adrian, Felix, and Perry all looked in confusion. Ethan was kicking and breaking everything in sight in a wild rage, and Austin just clutched the torso of a body to his chest that he had brought in.

"No. NO! Not you too! You are _not_ one of them!" Felix was panicking and dug the knife deeper into the nearly lifeless shifter's neck and blood started coursing down the blade and over Felix's hand.

Amelia just looked up at Perry and shook her head, then sprinted up the stairs to get her supplies. "She's a witch, Felix." Felix looked as devastated as a madman can look.

"And I'm a Telepath," I said as calmly as I could muster. "And you've done it. You've proven to your brother that these things exist." I couldn't make the connection though.

I lowered myself to his level, and Adrian and Ethan had enough sense to grab the guns they had dropped on the way in and point them in Felix's direction as I crawled closer to Felix. His once beautiful face was the picture of fury as I gingerly put a hand on his foot, which he immediately used to kick me in the face. Ethan's gun fired once at the wall above Felix's head. I fell backward and tried to stem the flow of blood from my temple, while Adrian leapt onto his brother's legs, leaning over the dying man to try to wrestle the knife out of his hands. While they wrestled, Perry and Ethan came from the other side to grasp at the left arm and leg of the shifter and pull him out of the melee.

_Everything I've worked for will be gone…_

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at the nearly comatose Austin, the taste of hot blood in my mouth. "I'm trying to listen!!"

Adrian had the advantage in the fight of better position, so it wasn't long before he'd finagled the knife from his brother's hand and scooted it out of arms reach on the floor, placing Felix in a wrestling hold. Austin finally had the presence of mind to find his recently discarded gun on the floor and hold it, albeit half-heartedly in Felix's direction with the hand that wasn't holding onto the headless torso for dear life.

"Do it Sookie, do whatever you were gonna do!" Adrian called from behind Felix who had not given up with the struggle. "Perry, get his legs!" Perry lurched forward and put his knees on Felix's flailing limbs. I clutched the side of my face and approached Felix cautiously.

"Why did you do this? Do you know these people?"

"FILTHY WHORE!" He shouted and his spittle flying out misted my battered face. "You are nothing! You are dirt under my toenail!" Luckily his mind yielded much greater results than his words did as I clamped a hand on his shin.

"Your mother…" I started, "He thinks your mother ran away with a shifter! He's been hunting them ever since he left school…"

"I don't think! I know! That slut left ME for some pathetic excuse for a human." He was looking at nothing as I saw the paranoia in his eyes.

"He's been trying to convince us for years that there were other things out there…" Adrian said from behind Felix.

"I watched her ride in on his back! I thought he was a surprise for my birthday!" He was a child for a moment. That immediately changed to arrogance, "She was trash, and now they are dead."

_It's over… Lily's won't have me… _I ignored Austin's lament.

"What was the man, Sookie?" Adrian stuttered out.

"Grizzly."

He looked disgusted and asked, "All those trips to the mountains?" A wicked smile lit Felix's face.

"And father? Was he part of this?" _Oh my lord…_ Felix's face said everything… but his mind said much more. A rush of nausea hit me and I told myself to hold on.

"How long have you been killing shifters?" I interrogated, trying to change the subject before I lost it.

Felix roared up at me, trying to break through Adrian's hold to reach me. "It's been the last twelve years since he murdered his first," I relayed, the images sickening me of kills gone wrong, gutted bears that were just that, bears. His smugness when the first shifter turned back human after he executed it. It was a stray cat. His kill rate had gotten more and more successful and he moved on to more exotic animals.

"Why did you call the pythons _Nhang_," Ethan asked as Amelia rushed back into the room.

"People think they're just pet-store cast-offs," Felix said, his smugness radiating off in waves. "That's bullshit! They're Persian serpent-monsters!"

"You, Ethan, help me!" Amelia opened the glass container that held an aromatic paste in it. Adrian looked over at what she was doing.

"Please, Amelia! I don't know what you can do, but if you can save him…" He pleaded.

_I have ruined my family name…_

"You." Felix growled.

Amelia ignored him as she started muttering a chant under her breath and rubbing the salve on the shifter's wounds.

"Where did you find the pythons?" Perry asked no one in particular.

"They were in the Everglades… I think they were mating…" Austin mumbled hysterically.

"YOU!" Felix screamed at Amelia, "You're worse than all of them! You _made_ yourself a freak!" In Adrian's haste to watch the healing process, he had loosened Felix's arms. Felix bucked with inhuman strength and Perry and I were both flung in the opposite direction as he lunged for the knife.

"Amelia!" I shrieked as I grabbed Perry and pulled him with me on top of the one and a half other bodies behind the island.

Last I could see, Felix had the knife and Adrian was trying to stop him from stabbing Amelia. I heard several screams and a shot.

Nonononononono! I was shaking wildly on my stomach, on top of the dead shifter. Amelia. Adrian. Nonononono. Nononononono, I felt the tears as they coursed down my blood-stained cheeks.

_Eric, if you are here, I need you._

"He's dead," Perry had looked around the corner and was hugging me tightly to his chest.

I didn't want to ask, but I did anyway though it was barely audible. "Who? Who is dead?"

_There is nothing left… I have nothing…_

A calm filled my body and I waded into a lake of serenity. I was overflowing with strength and finally able to peer around the blood-stained kitchen island.

"Are you okay around vampires?" I asked a stunned Perry before I allowed myself to look. He just nodded his head. "That's good." I continued on my way on my knees to inspect the death toll.

Austin had fallen on his side in his vomit and was vibrating with violent tremors. Amelia was rocking back and forth, in shock, yet attempting to apply her salve to Adrian who was bleeding from multiple slashes all over his body. Thank God, I breathed when I realized we were out of immediate danger.

Felix was still leaning against the counter, a bullet hole centered perfectly in the middle of his forehead, empty eyes still open.

_I have nothing…. I have nothing…_

_Invite me in…_

I was confused at the two tenors of the voices, but managed to call out, "Do come in," lightly to the front door. I knew he'd hear me. He always heard me. With a crack and a splintering thud the heavy wood was rammed off of its hinges and fell inward, cracking the marble of the floor.

_It's over…_

At the exact moment that Eric reached my side, lifting me into the safety of his cool arms, another bullet burned through the chaos of the night.

****Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for sticking with me… Review for me?****

**-SJ**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sorry for the delay in delivering this chapter. Vacations and computer viruses= virucation. I hope you enjoy the newest installment! **_

_**Disclaimer: I am not Charlaine Harris, nor do I own the rights to any of her books or characters. Please do not sue me. **_

**Chapter 14**

_**Austin had fallen on his side in his vomit and was vibrating with violent tremors. Amelia was rocking back and forth in shock, yet attempting to apply her salve to Adrian who was bleeding from multiple slashes all over his body. _ThankGod_, I breathed when I realized we were out of immediate danger._

_Felix was still leaning against the counter, a bullet hole centered perfectly in the middle of his forehead, empty eyes still open. _

I have nothing…. I have nothing…

Invite me in…

_I was confused at the two tenors of the voices, but managed to call out, "Do come in," lightly to the front door. I knew he'd hear me. He always heard me. With a crack and a splintering thud the heavy wood door was rammed off of its hinges and fell inward, cracking the marble of the floor. _

It's over…

_At the exact moment that Eric reached my side, lifting me into the safety of his cool arms, another bullet burned through the chaos of the night.**_

At the sound of the shot Eric threw me to the ground with the force of his own body at vampire-speed cupping my damaged head in the palm of his hand as he landed over me.

"God, no! Not you! Not now that you're finally here!" I was incoherent, and I was outside of my body, my mind having told me without question that Eric was going to die. That everyone was dead. That I was alone in a world where everyone I loved was in line for the guillotine in some manner. With eyes squeezed tightly, I floated in my despair and came unhinged, sobbing into the weight and heaviness of His body. I would give my own body to science now that He was gone. They could euthanize me like some poor unloved dog and then they could rip my carcass apart. I would tell them about my telepathy. Maybe they would like to look at my brain. I knew I had lost it, but I just didn't care anymore. That shot had been the final nail in my coffin. I laughed hysterically at the irony through my mania.

The weight was gone.

I couldn't bear to open my eyes. Had he turned into ash? No. Yes. Probably. I would gather his ashes and sprinkle them over the world in daylight. No. I would gather his ashes and keep them with me. I would hold them in my hand…

"Sookie," a familiar voice called into the night where I was floating- holding hands with my mental breakdown. "Lover, rise lover." _Oh, am I a vampire now?_ I could feel the cracked and drying blood on my face. I stuck my tongue out to taste my new and only source of nutrition. _Gross_. _Nope, not a vamp, _I reasoned.

More urgently this time, "Sookie, check the bond. Take your temperature!" _Now what the heck is this voice talking about,_ I wondered. _I can't even open my eyes, how does he expect me to find a thermometer?_

The voice shook me. "I'm alive, Sookie. I'm fine. I need you to get it together!" Oh, _that_ bond. What use would checking that be, I mean he was supposed to be dead. I _would_ need to know what the pain would feel like eventually, I figured, so I used what reserve of strength I had left to search for Eric's presence- or lack thereof.

My eyes sprang open and immediately I was in his arms. We fell to the floor in our embrace. The tears fell loosely and I couldn't contain the tremors that rocked my body as I buried my face in his chest. "Where have you been?" I asked, hearing the significance of the question only after the words left my lips.

"I am so… sorry," he sounded almost surprised as he whispered into my hair. I tried to gather my sanity as he gathered us to our feet.

Suddenly remembering where we were and that my life was still not assured, I pulled back hesitantly to ask, "The gun, what happened?"

"Who is this?" Adrian's voice broke in, emotionless, before I could get a response. I felt a tidal wave of relief when I heard him speak, still alive.

I turned slowly from the shelter of Eric's frame to answer. Eric caught me before I could crumble again to the ground at the sight of the scene below. Austin too, was dead. Sanity and reason began to flee my body once again. "I… I didn't realize" I stuttered out, taking in the discarded gun beside Austin and the trail of damage from his chin to where the bullet had exited at the crown of his head. He had killed himself. "No! No, this is not really happening. Oh, God. This is my fault. It's all my fault. I heard him," I looked to Adrian and then Eric for understanding. "Mentally! Mentally, I heard Austin, and I told him to shut up. I just thought he was having a minor freak out. I… I should have realized. Now he's dead and it's all my fault."

Amelia lurched over to me from against the counter where she had been hunched. She moved through the bodies and blood to gather me into her arms. Perry was still huddled against the center island, unmoving, while Ethan stared blankly into the faces of everyone in the room- both dead and alive. "So much death," Perry was murmuring. "These poor young men…"

Adrian stood slowly, looking up at the man in a protector's stance behind me. "You're Eric then, aren't you?" Eric nodded minutely as Adrian shook his head, sorrow etched upon his features. "Of course you are. Sookie, you trust this man?" I nodded, dazed. "Then you must leave. Now."

I was shocked out of my reverie, and started to argue but Adrian cut me off before I could argue. "I don't know how you came to be here in _my_ _home_, and believe me, I _will_ understand these things soon, but for now, please, get them away from here?"

"You will have things to take care of here," Eric said. I could tell the fresh blood everywhere was testing his reserves.

"Take my car. Be careful with Sookie."

Eric raised an eyebrow at Adrian as he caught the keys Adrian tossed to him, "Sookie will _always_ be safe with me."

Adrian, with an air of assurance that was not echoing internally, strode over to my side. He wrapped his arms around me as a surge of heat from Eric lashed through my body. "I am so sorry, Sookie."

"No, I'm so sorry Adrian. All of this… And Felix…" my voice trailed off. I couldn't finish. Choking sobs robbed me of words.

"I will find you when… after." He looked straight into my cloudy eyes and pulled a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. "I will come for you."

I nodded as Eric threw me into his arms and Amelia followed us across the overturned front door and into the balmy night air.

***

I was filled with a profound relief when the keys Adrian had given Eric clicked open the doors to the other car that had been waiting for us at the dock earlier in the day, and not the silver SUV that was sure to be caked with only God knows what. _Has this really all been one day?_

Eric grinned a little as he took the driver's seat and released the lever to make the seat go all the way back. I thought maybe I was imagining things as I strapped myself in and inhaled the inherent comfort of our bond. Amelia had gone into the fetal position in the backseat and was sniffling and quietly talking to herself.

Adrian had just killed his brother. His homicidal shifter killing brother, but still it was his brother. And those poor were-pythons; I never even got to see if the third shifter survived… he had lost so very much blood… and Austin. God, his fiancée! He was supposed to be getting married! The tears fell like water from a faucet as we sped in silence toward Miami and the impending dawn.

***

I must have been asleep when we arrived at Sanguine Exsanguinations because when I rose I was tucked away under the covers beside a thousand year old immortal (ish) in a room as dark as coal. I only knew he was there at first because he shone a little in the dark. I stroked his face as my eyes adjusted and I recalled the events of the previous night. It was hard to tell which memories were nightmare and which were reality. I had had plenty of both in the past however many hours. I wondered absently where Amelia was as I curled a lock of his golden hair around my finger. Curiously enough, the strong scent of lilac permeated the air in the hotel room.

Then the beautiful statue came to life before my eyes. "Have you heard that the metropolis of Wellborn is home to five thousand people?"

"Good morning, Eric- er, evening. I guess I must have missed that bit of trivia," I managed a small smile at the random nature of his awakening.

"I knew you were touching me, even though I couldn't feel your fingers on my skin," he stated, abruptly changing the subject and I felt myself flush in the darkness.

I struggled to dampen the heat that was rising up from deep within. How could one being break my will with his mere presence? I stiffened, thinking how deplorable it all was, just the fact that I could feel anything like lust after I had experienced the horrors of the night before. Felix was dead. Austin too. And sweet Adrian had been left to take care of the mess- Adrian who had made enthusiastic love to me just hours before. _Yeah, I am a bad person…_

"We need to talk about what happened last night," Eric said as he ran his hand over the contours of my side. I peeked to see what I was wearing- because with Eric, one _seriously_ never knows. Huh, just my bra and undies from last night. I half expected to be in a crotchless thong and boobless bra (_Is that a real thing?_) Eric was in slate gray European-style briefs. I had to hold myself back from running my hand over his muscular abdomen. I bit my lip.

"Sookie? Did you hear me?" Eric said. "Or did you have something else on your mind?" Amusement was echoing across the bond, but was immediately cut off, like a candle blown out.

Okay, that was weird. "Um, right, we need to talk about last night. You're right. And we need to talk about a few other things," I said pointedly, remembering passing out in the hotel bathroom. I pulled myself to my elbows into a half-sitting position in the bed, suddenly remembering my manners. "But thank you, Eric. Thank you for getting me- us out of there safely." That reminded me. "Where is Amelia, by the way?"

Eric leaned across me and reached down into a mini-fridge that I hadn't noticed was tucked underneath my nightstand and pulled out a bottle of generic O-neg, pushing a button to open the curtains and let the nightfall in. "I offered to let her have a little threesome in our room, but for some reason she wasn't interested. So she's in one of the unshielded rooms downstairs." He made a face as he sipped the poor quality blood, "You'd think they would better equip their suites here. This tastes like cat fluids." I grimaced as my unlikely friend Bubba's face flashed across my mind.

I was about to ask about Bubba, when Eric began instead. "Before we have any conversation, my lover, I am afraid I must insist you be decontaminated."

"Pardon?"

"His scent," he sniffed, "encompasses yours completely. I tried to rid it with lotions and oils last night, and while I thoroughly enjoyed dousing you with the masking aromas, his is a perfume that lingers." I was torn between feeling furious that he was telling me what to do and feeling simultaneous embarrassment and lust at his hands having been all over me while I slept. But hey, it wasn't like it was the first time he had touched my body…And at least that explained the lilac smell…

I shrugged and took my aching body to the bathroom. When my face was in reflecting view of the mirror, I shuddered. _Hot stuff, Stackhouse- it is a wonder how I get any action, ever._ As I started the shower, I searched the room for a toothbrush but came up empty-handed. I scraped a nail absently at the dried blood that has crusted over on my cheeks while I swished water from the faucet around in my mouth.

Once I found myself wet and soapy, I waited for the inevitable. Surely, Eric would barge in naked and ready to exfoliate (along with other things). I took in deep, cleansing breaths of steam as I leaned against the wall, waiting.

But he didn't come.

Fifteen minutes later I emerged from the bathroom in a single white towel feeling a little surprised. He was sitting on the couch with the local evening news blaring and the AC on full blast somewhere between downtime and focused attention.

I stepped in the path his eyes took to the TV. "Eric, I-"

He jerked to attention in a very un-Eric like way and rose to his full height. "You have finished bathing? Okay, I ordered you room service," he said, pointing to a tray I hadn't noticed parked on my side of the bed. "Eat."

I was wide-eyed, confused and concerned as he shut the door to the restroom behind him and started the shower. This was not the Eric I knew. I prodded the bond to see if I could get a sense of Eric's state of mind. He was stressed, but more than anything, there was this incredibly strange sensation in the fabric of that which connected us. It was like lidocaine had been poured across the bond. He was, and this was a first, feeling _numb_. And he was doing his best to send that emotion into my body.

_What now?_ I wondered as I blocked him and attempted to pick at my (surely) overpriced convenience store style blueberry muffin and soggy Frosted Flakes. I gave up and rolled over on the bed to stare out the window. I just couldn't understand how everything had gone so wrong, so fast. It seemed Eric no longer wanted anything to do with me today. Again. As usual. _But why would he come this far just to ignore me?_ _And damn it, Eric was the whole reason I needed to get away in the first place!_ I tried to squash my tears. Sookie Stackhouse does not cry this often. _I have cried enough tears over this man,_ I reminded myself as I wiped my lids with the sheet.

Technically, this _was_ all his fault. It was his fault I had to live through another night where once again, I probably should have died.

"Sookie? Eric?" A tentative voice came with a light rap at the door.

Amelia.

I wrapped the towel tightly around myself and let her in. She looked a lot like me, shell-shocked and battered with bruises and scrapes that mapped her arms. She was carrying my suitcase which she dropped as soon as the door opened. We threw our arms around each other in a silent embrace.

"Come in!"

"I can't, Sook. I hope you're not mad at me, but I can't stay in this place."

"Okay, we can go back to the Ritz. I'll come with you. Let me just throw on some clothes…"

"I am not staying in Miami, Sookie. It's just too much," she hesitated. "I really cared about Felix, as stupid as that sounds. And then he turns out to be this, this killer. What kind of person falls for a killer?"

I grimaced at that.

"I'm going to my father's cabin in Utah for a while. I just… need to be alone for a while."

"You're leaving? You're leaving me here?" Amelia's eyes begged me to understand.

_Please, please, please don't hate me… I can't do this… Felix….. I can't be here… She's seen that kind of violence before, she's used to it… I can't… Felix. No. …. Say something, Sookie…. Please…_

Her heart and mind curled around Felix's name as she attempted to reconcile _her_ Felix with the one who wore _her_ Felix's clothing. Sorrow colored her every thought like a child with a red crayon.

"Okay. I understand." I gripped Amelia's hand in mine and heard the shower water turn off. "Call me when you get there. Be safe."

"That reminds me," she said as she rolled the suitcase to my side, "The concierge at the Ritz who packed up what was left of our things found your cell phone under the bed. It's in the inside pocket." With that she leaned forward to kiss my cheek and retreated down the corridor and out of sight.

***

_**Please review for me!?!?**_

_**I have a free weekend, so I am (fingers crossed) going to try to put out another chapter by the end of the weekend. Thanks for sticking w/ me! You better believe things are far from over for our heroine………..-SJ**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**As promised, to make up for my little absence: Chapter Fifteen. Pregunta: Is Precious Little the opposite of Gracious Plenty? Or are they just frienemies?**_

_**Please review for me? I do love hearing my phone ding in the middle of the night with your reactions…**_

_**Disclaimer: I am not Charlaine Harris, nor do I own the rights to any of her books or characters. Please do not sue me. Sometimes Sookie, Claudine, Amelia and I go walking, after midnight… looking for Eric.**_

**Chapter 15**

I ripped open my suitcase as soon as Amelia disappeared down the hall and the door shut behind her. Throwing on the first top and bottom that I laid my hands on and wrapping a band around my locks, all I had left to do was slide into some flip flops when I called out to Eric, who was running the faucet in the bathroom. "I am gonna run down to the lobby and see if the concierge can find a toothbrush for me."

A garbled noise that I took to be a "whatever," came from the other room. _Eric must be brushing his teeth. _I registered slightsurprise that it had never occurred to me that vampires needed to care of their oral hygiene.I pocketed a room key and was out the door in record time. Little did Eric know that I had no intention of stopping at the front desk. I tried to be invisible as I passed through the slightly cheesy red and black, bat-wallpapered lobby. Literally, there were bat shapes on the wallpaper. _Why does he like this place?_ If there was one thing I knew about Eric Northman, it was that I would never be able to fully understand him.

I wandered out onto the buzzing sidewalk and paused. Okay, so I knew I needed to get away for a while, but where to go? I hadn't thought that far ahead. Other than the burning desire to have some time to think things through, I was without destination.

I turned left. They do say, when in doubt turn left. Well, I just made that saying up, but it sounded good in my head. The streets that had been so full of life and excitement in my eyes a few days ago seemed like a paler, muted version of what they had been.

The wide-eyed tourists now just looked weary and anxious to find the comfort of their hotels- and a stiff drink. The samba music trailing like smoke from dimly lit bars was just a perpetual beat, pounding away, reminding me that time was passing and I had no hope of staying in time. The thoughts of the passersby buzzed through my brain like horseflies, bouncing against one another and banging into the walls of my skull. I couldn't differentiate the thoughts, and I was not in any condition to hold my shields in place.

I tried to use my brain despite the perpetual hum. I realized just how deeply this had affected Amelia. I had been too caught up in my own misery to take much notice until she departed so hastily. I knew from experience just how hard it was to heal from that kind of trauma. I changed mental gears. Why hadn't Claudine been there to stop the lunacy of the night before? Was she too far that she couldn't feel my distress? Things at the club must be really bad if she had been able to hear me, but couldn't leave to help. I hoped everything was alright back in Louisiana.

_I really need to stop expecting people to save my ass. I've got to learn how to save myself. _

I wondered what Adrian had done to clean up the mess his life and his kitchen had become. It was funny how many bad things happened in kitchens in my universe.

_I will probably never see him again._ I never gave Adrian my phone number… not that he would probably be knocking down any doors to find me after… ugh. I felt sick just thinking about it.

I kept walking aimlessly and realized that I had ended up a long way down the beach and that the horsefly hum had faded. I was finally alone. I kicked my flip flops off and continued barefooted, watching the break of the waves in the darkness. I felt a lot like those stupid waves, doomed to break over and over, pulled back by a current far stronger than my will to dissipate.

I would have to face my current eventually… I just didn't know if I could deal with the implications tonight. As usual, I was condemned to not have a choice.

A spray of sand peppered my bare calves from behind me, and I felt the rage before I could even turn around to see where it came from.

"Goddamnit, Sookie!" he shouted at me from where he had landed in the snowy pale sand. Immediately defensive, I whipped just out of arm's reach as he made to grab me.

"What do you want, Eric?" I was shouting now too. Why did he have to come for me? Why couldn't I just have some time to think- I am a grown woman! I said as much to him as his fury switched to despair to fury to arrogance and then back to fury again in rapid succession. I had never seen him with so little control over his emotions before.

"What do I want? What do I want? Are you kidding me? Do I have to spell it out?"

I jutted my jaw out and forced a hand on my hip, refusing to respond. This infuriated him further and the sound of the waves crashing seemed to amplify in my ears.

"You left! You could have been taken! Do you expect me to just fly around all night searching the city, or should I say the country, for you like I am a search and rescue pet?" He spat out the last words, and that was enough for me.

"No, Eric! I guess I just thought that you wouldn't give a shit, based on the way you've been having mood swings like a menopausal great-aunt!" His eyes flashed at that and his fangs extended.

"I wouldn't give a shit, huh? Really? You stupid, foolish child!" He stepped closer to me with a look on his face that I could not identify. All I knew was that he had never screamed at me like this before, and I knew the things this man was capable of. Unfortunately, after the night I had had, I had a hard time trying to care enough to fear him.

I crossed into the space he filled and got as in his face as I could. "How dare you call me stupid! This, all of this is _your_ _fucking_ _fault_!" I emphasized my words by jabbing a pointed finger in his chest. I truly wished it were made of silver, just so momentarily, he could experience the pain I'd been living with in his absence.

Eric's golden mane whipped around his face in the ocean wind as he his voice got quiet, deadly quiet and he responded, "It is my fault that you ran off to the other side of the country? It is my fault that you trusted strangers and got burned in the process?"

I stepped away from him, turning my head toward the water and choked out, "Don't _you_ tell _me_ about being burned…"

"Tell me Sookie, is it _my_ fault that _you_ let him fuck the shit out of you and then you are somehow surprised that he is not going to want to marry you?"

The venom in his words knocked the breath from my lungs and I fought to keep some semblance of composure. He had never hurt me like that before, and I wanted to return his favor desperately, but I could think of nothing. There was nothing that could be said or done to this man that would make him feel the way he had just made me feel.

I just stared at him for a moment and then turned away from his icy fury, continuing on the path I had begun just a few short minutes earlier. Only this time, to the heartache and desperation I had been carrying was added the weight of all the grains of sand on the beach.

I called over my shoulder into the dark shadow that was _my_ Eric, "Thank you, Eric. You told me everything I needed to know."

***

I jerked as though I was awaking from a trance as she faded into the distance. I wanted to race after her and shake her, murder her, throw her on the sand and thrust deep enough into her that she could no longer deny me. I was torn between the three options, so I reached down and grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it to the depths of the ocean.

I regretted my words, and regret was not an emotion I felt comfortable with. I would not be made a fool of though, and she had let him fuck her. She let him fuck her and she didn't even realize I had been there, behind her eyes, watching every agonizing second. From his dick in her mouth to her watching him ogle her body like she existed only for his pleasure, I didn't have a choice at what I saw.

And then I had tried to use the bond to reach out to her, but she brushed me off like a hallucination. I stared up at the sky while I remembered being huddled in the men's room of Osiris, clenching the sides of a sink so tightly as I reached out to her that the porcelain turned to dust beneath my fingers. Then she said that she loved me. I felt a rush of elation that was replaced immediately with revulsion as she pushed me out and came in time with her fuck buddy.

She thought her body was made for his.

I roared up into the night, wondering how this woman stripped me from all that defined me. She made me a fool. She made me hateful, spiteful. She ignited me.

I had been trying to let her make her own decisions. I was trying to hide my own irrational desires and let her come to me of her own volition. But it seemed all I had done was push her so far away that she had fallen over some mysterious precipice. Somehow Sam and Claudine were right… all I ever seemed to do was make her existence more tortured.

_But she is just a fucking human! Why am I so upset? If I do not turn her, she will age and then she will die- just like all the other humans. And I will continue… _

Four times. This was the fourth time my phone had gone off in my pocket since I had started my search for Sookie. I realized I was still standing in the same spot that I had been when Sookie left me.

This had better be important.

"Sheriff."

"What, Pam?" I stated, trying to force a semblance of rationality into my voice.

"I have been presented with an opportunity that I feel you may desire to have a, pardon me, stake in. New product."

"Jesus, Pam. I will not discuss this with you tonight. Or have you forgotten that I am away?" Why she would call me four times about merchandise was beyond my capabilities tonight.

"This is something you need to look in to."

Her insubordination was growing and I was really not in the mood for this sort of shit. "We will discuss it when I return," I snapped fiercely.

"I will email you the information. Check your phone," she was saying as I ended the call.

***

I was trying to decide what to do next when I realized she was coming back. If I had a working heart, it would have sped at her approach. She looked like a light angel stomping through the sand.

"Sookie-" I tried to keep my voice even.

"I didn't come back for you, Eric," her voice was hard as she tried to pass me. I caught her wrist and she pulled away. _Shit_.

"I am going back to the hotel. I have nowhere else to go tonight. But I assure you, I will be gone by the time you wake tomorrow."

I pulled her into my chest, and I heard her fight the sigh of relief that tried to free itself from her core. I attempted to lock eyes with her, send comfort through the bond, but she averted her gaze and sent me her pain instead. I could not think of words to use to ease it, and more than anything I ached to kiss her mouth and fix everything.

"You can't fix this with a kiss, Eric," she said sadly.

"You… how did you know?" I released my tormentor as I reeled from the realization. Frantic thoughts flitted through my head like caged birds at the cat's approach.

"I get flashes from you sometimes. Oh, you didn't know that did you?" Her voice was rich with sarcasm as she lifted her hands out to her sides. "Are you going to kill me now?" She sounded almost hopeful. "Because at this point I have to wonder if both our lives would be better if I was out of the picture."

Against all of my instincts as she started to trudge heavily away, I flew to a stop in front of her and wrapped my arms around her small body in silence. It was precious little, but it was all I could think to do, and somehow I felt better than I had in many months. "I should kill you for keeping that from me," I whispered, "But strangely enough I find that I don't… care."

***

His embrace and reaction had not been what I was expecting. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't believe he was still standing on the beach when I decided to turn around. I had walked for quite a while. I assumed he would have been off drowning his sorrows in a pint of A-positive. I steeled myself for another argument, yet determined to make it back to the hotel emotionally unscathed.

When he pulled me into his broad chest my body betrayed me, and for just those small few seconds, I felt home.

I tried to fight, I really did. Then I heard him, that flash of insight that I could catch only in the rarest of circumstances. He was actually arrogant enough to think he could undo what he had done with a simple kiss. _Fucking men! Dead or alive, they are all the same. _

Screw it. I wanted to let him know I was on to his thoughts- consequences be damned. But here he was, once again surprising me, enveloping me with his limbs, and I was inhaling the richness of his scent. _I hate that I want you,_ I screamed to my bonded mentally as I felt my hands clutching the tight sinew of his back.

"Let me take you back to the hotel," he breathed in my ear. I fought the urge that begged me to acquiesce and remembered his acidic words. I hated him. I needed him like he was essential to my very existence. But right then, I hated him.

While I wrestled with my emotions he gathered me into his long, powerful arms like a child. "I will leave you when we return," he said. I caught his clear blue gaze in the moonlight and held it, unsure of how to respond. "I must ensure you arrive safely. This is a dangerous city."

"Most places I go turn into dangerous places," I murmured into his armpit as he flew. I preferred to keep an eyes closed approach to in-flight experiences of the planeless nature. I ached in so many different ways, I couldn't begin to define the pain, but Eric was the best pain-killer I had ever taken.

We flew in silence, and when we arrived he walked me to the room.

"I'll need to wear shoes, probably," he shrugged, and I looked at his feet, shocked. Only Eric could walk barefoot through a city and no one would notice, because people were so astounded by his face. I shook my head as we walked into the suite.

I walked over to the window and tried to figure out how they managed to keep the sun out so completely during the day. Usually, the architects of most vampire hotels left windows out altogether. I placed my palm against the glass and breathed into the pane. I used my other hand to draw in the steam.

"I have caused you pain." He voice was closer than I knew, and a cool hand reached slowly from behind me to cover mine, still palming the glass. His other pointed a finger at the un-happy face I had drawn. I was pinned in front of the man who…the man who…

For the second time in two days he said it. "I am… sorry to hurt you the way I do."

"Eric-"

"I must finish. When you left Bon Temps without telling me- I realized I couldn't feel you al all… I searched…you don't understand. I am not saying it right." He was pacing the room and I peered anxiously at his progress.

"I couldn't feel you… and then I felt too much. Everything. It doesn't matter… or maybe it will… All I am trying to say is that I realized…" _Finish it, finish it_ my subconscious begged the man whose cobalt eyes were now searching the walls as if within them hid the words he should choose. He didn't finish, but it was enough.

It was enough.

My defenses crumbled. I knew what it was that he could not say. I could feel it- he had tried so hard to hide it from me. I turned back to the window as I tried to figure out the best sentence to both simply and eloquently put my feelings to words. I was inhaling the breath of the sentence when I heard the creak of the door.

I whipped around. He was leaving- just like he said he would. "I will stay away from you tonight, and when we both arrive home we can see about severing the bond." His face was the palest I had ever seen it, and his eyes were shells of their former brilliance. "I cannot promise it will not be painful, but with as muted as the bond has become, perhaps it will not kill us both."

He had misread my reaction.

I nearly doubled over at the thought of losing the tickle of his soul upon mine.

"You don't understand, Eric," I cried, but he cut me off with a look and a shake of his head. I tried to do something, anything to make him see that I felt the same way. But it seemed I was frozen in place. And he was gone.

***

I fled, as unsure of myself as I had ever been in over a thousand years. I was convinced she didn't want me. _Thank God no one here knows me;_ I was storming the streets of South Beach like a lunatic fighting the frantic tugging from my bonded. Make that hysterical yanking.

For the first time, I had opened myself up as best as I could, and I was freaking out.

_You are also being an idiot,_ I scolded my body as I turned around and started running.

***

**_Lord, I could use something fresh and cold to drink. Any recommendations? Juice, maybe? Let me know if you think juice is a good idea (or to just tell me what you thought of the chapter)….. Thanks for reading! - SJ_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N**__ Thanks you so much for all the awesome reviews, PMs and adds! Your responses are what keep me writing. This chapter was super hard for me. I just sat at the computer for hours, trying to make sure that any possible lemons were worthy of our favorite Viking's ridiculously high standards. And when you have centuries to practice, you better believe you get some SERIOUSLY high standards…. Ugh. Yum. Meow._

_Also, I switch POVs a lot this chapter and, as always, I don't label them because I think they're pretty easy to differentiate. Do you want me to label the POV changes, or are you cool with it the way it is?_

**Disclaimer: These characters are the sole property of the fabulous Charlaine Harris. I do not own them or have any rights to them, nor do I intend to have any financial gain from this work. Please don't sue me. **

_**A/N**__ So, without further ado….. To the event!_

**Chapter 16**

***

My legs finally started working a few minutes after Eric left. I was just so astounded that things had gotten so screwed up between the two of us that I had to replay the whole conversation in my head to make sure I hadn't misunderstood his words. Because Lord knows it wouldn't have been the first time. No. Things were as they seemed- which meant Eric had taken my silence as a rejection.

_Not this time._

I raced down the stairs, even though I knew it was pointless. There was no way he would return. I pushed through tourists, vampires, and hotel staff to exit the building.

As I closed my eyes and wrenched at the bond to somehow force him back to me I felt my energy fragment into small pieces and fought the urge to sit on the landing. _He will come for me. He will come._ I played a steady mantra on repeat as I continued calling out to him.

***

She was standing in the doorway of the hotel, a look of desperation masking her delicate features. She was looking for me.

I watched her head turn from across the street as she sensed my nearness, unsure of my intentions. She whispered, knowing I alone could hear her, "Forgive me." I fixed my gaze upon her- a gaze that would glamour a lesser woman. A tear gathered at the meeting of her smooth eyelids and I cocked my head as I remembered the taste.

Before the moisture could drop to her cheek, I was across the street and she was in my arms. I watched as her face widened in alarm at my rapid approach. I let go.

One rough word was all that passed before I was crushing her with my lips.

"Lover."

***

He came back. The look in his eyes was hot as he stood across the road. When he raced across the busy street, half flying half running, I didn't fear him. I was just astounded by the way he still captured my breath even after all this time.

Before I could fully appreciate the beauty of the man, he was in front of me, clutching my hips and seizing my mouth with his own. His kiss said more than words ever could, and I echoed the sentiment. I realized we were in motion when my back hit the glass doors that marked the entrance of the hotel. I felt the give as he pushed me through them, never releasing my lips or his grip on my battered body. I scarcely recognized that he pushed us through the crowd in the lobby, me walking backward- tripping over my own feet, yet Eric guiding me urgently.

Eric pulled his fervent tongue from between my lips to yell, "You, in the elevator!" A single man with horn-rimmed glasses crossing into the steel cage looked up, with one foot suspended, motionless in the air. I watched Eric's completely extended fangs come into full view as he said menacingly, "You'll take the next one."

The man gave a slack-jawed nod and Eric continued reclaiming my body with his hands and mouth, pushing me into the now empty elevator and slamming me up against the wall while simultaneously pressing the button for our floor. The pain to my back was replaced quickly by a much more pleasant sensation. Eric pulled my hair out of its ponytail and took two fistfuls of hair, arching my head back as he mouthed the curve of my neck. I clawed the thick bands of muscle that ran down his biceps as I tried my best to catch my breath.

"God, Eric," I managed to choke out. He grunted in response from my collarbone. It was primitive communication, but we've always managed to work better together when words weren't necessary. He returned to my lips and my shirt was halfway off when the ding of our floor alerted us to our arrival. I groaned a little, hesitant to leave the pleasure of the enclosure. Eric leered at me, eyes full of naked lust, and hitched me over his shoulder, ass up, carrying me into the room. I smacked his butt playfully, savoring the feel of the high, firm skin beneath his jeans.

Once he deposited me to my feet in the room, my mischievous mood evaporated at the look on his face. "I am ravenous for you," he growled into my ear, sending volts of pure need to my depths. I had never known need this profound, and every nerve ending, every muscle felt electric with his energy.

"And as much as any one person can be another's, I am yours," I whispered.

***

That must have been what he needed to hear, because just like that, we combusted into open flame. He smirked and pushed me down onto the hotel bed. The loss of his touch from my skin caused a palpable ache, and I arched my back up to him as he towered over me.

"I need to feel you, now," I panted.

"I have waited far too long to rush this, my lover."

Slowly, painstakingly, he began to remove my clothes. I shivered as he slid my cream tank top off and his hands trailed the smooth skin over my ribcage. I hadn't had time to fasten a bra before my hasty exit earlier, so my hardened nipples were immediately exposed in the chill of the air conditioned room.

_I have missed this man like air_, I realized and gasped as a fang traced the curve of my side. I reflexively knotted my fingers in his disheveled mane. Blue eyes flashed up at me devilishly before he lowered himself with focused intensity to the waistline of my shorts, unbuttoning them with his world-renowned mouth, lowering the zipper with his teeth.

He came back up to my lips, and I lifted my hips so that he could wriggle my shorts down to my ankles. Eric looked down and then glowered deeply at my flowered granny panties. I tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a giggle. "Laundry day," I shrugged.

"I will buy you more," he growled and in a flash he had ripped them off of my body with his teeth. I couldn't help my chest from heaving at the feeling of his golden hair trailing over my most sensitive area in his rush to rid me of my panties. Finally naked, I opened my legs to him, silently begging for the release only he could provide.

"We're not quite there yet," he said smoothly, and turned my body so that I was sprawled out properly, lengthwise on the bed.

"Wha-?" I started to say when he grinned and raced at vampire-speed into the bathroom returning in seconds with a bowl and washcloth.

"When I was cursed, and you found me," he said quietly, "You warmed me, held my hand, healed me." I stared at the man who was perched on the side of the bed, and placed my hand gently on his arm. He was looking everywhere but at me, and I sent him warmth through the bond. "When I remembered what you did for me… I couldn't get it out of my mind. And I want to return the favor."

He slowly turned his face back in my direction, and I bit my lip as I inclined my head. Eric dipped the soft cloth in the warm, soapy water and got on his knees at the end of the bed, taking my left foot in his strong, cool hands. Gently, tenderly he began to wash my feet, removing the stray grains of sand at my heels, massaging up into the arches and between my toes. I moaned at the simple pleasure and closed my eyes, allowing his deft fingers to cleanse me, melting my tension into the night. When the first foot was sufficiently clean, he leaned down and kissed my toes before moving on to the other foot. A spark was sent straight to my core at the contact of his mouth on toes, and he grinned up at me.

He kneaded and scrubbed my right foot until I was almost shivering from want, the warm water heating my whole body- all the way to my fingertips. When he finished, he kissed my toes again, and my head rolled back. He took the hint, and ran his tongue up the arch of my foot, and I had to grab onto the comforter for support, panting at the sensation. He switched back to my other foot and kissed the ball of my foot while his practiced hands started running over my calves, massaging and running his fingernails gently up and down my skin.

I wailed a little, begging for him to hurry up, and Eric lowered my leg, on hands and knees, sucking and nibbling slowly up my leg. "Please. This is torture!" I moaned down to him, switching my grip to the top of the headboard behind me, raising my breasts up higher in a way I knew he would appreciate. His eyes glazed a bit at the sight of my pink nipples and he knocked the bowl of water to the floor, shattering and spilling it and its contents. His shirt hit the floor next, and I had to hold my breath at the sight of his strong shoulders and alabaster skin in the pale light of the hotel room. I pulled him into me and kissed the sculpture that was his body, teasing his nipples with sharp nips while deftly unbuttoning and lowering his pants.

I knew he would be commando. And he was.

His very plentiful (and gracious) cock was released from its denim constraints, and I sucked in a breath at its size. I never failed to be surprised at the length and girth, you would think I would be used to it by now… I ghosted my hand over the top of it, and I felt Eric tremble at the feather-light touch I gave it and he took my mouth and tongue back in his, intensifying the kiss while feeling my breasts as if it were the first time. I was dripping wet with desire.

He let me lay him down on the bed, and I straddled his thick chest backwards, and bent down to take his hard length into my mouth. It was my turn to make him feel good, and he would have the perfect view while I did. He groaned as I circled the head with my tongue a few times, lapping up the wetness that was already gathered at his tip. With one hand, I tried to grab as much of the base of his penis as possible, and used the other hand to alternate between clawing his thighs and cupping his jewels. I pulsed two fingers into the area between his ass and his balls to tease him as I took him as far into my mouth as possible and started to suck.

He snarled and before I could react, pulled himself up to his elbows and positioned his body so that he would have access to my thoroughly soaked pussy. I jerked and had to stop myself from snapping my head around with his cock still in my mouth. A garbled "Aarrghh," was all that escaped my lips as he tasted my wetness and tongued my folds open, roughly finding my clit with his mouth, simultaneously swirling and probing it.

The pleasure was building so quickly and intensely that I had to remind my mouth what it was supposed to be doing, and I began to suck at him once again. He paused on my core when I started back and I felt a twitch below me; realizing he was nearing completion, I redoubled my efforts grinding my mouth deeper and clutching his thighs more securely.

Not wanting to be beat to the punch, Eric quickly inserted his fingers into my depths and fluttered at my g-spot. I had to rise up off of his erection to breathe and he growled up from between my hips, "Whose body is your body made for?"

I gulped. "Argh! Fuck, Eric!"

"Answer the question," his muffled voice demanded as he continued to bring me closer and closer to my release.

I couldn't deny the perfection of our union, but damn it, who wants to say that loud? The tremors were gathering and my breathing was getting more and more fevered. _Shit. Shit. Shit. _

"Fine! Ungh…My … ooh…. Body…. Grrnh… is made… mmmmm, oh God! ..... for….." I was teetering on the brink.

"You took too long." Eric flipped me on to my back and righted himself so that we were face to face. His penis was resting at my entrance, and I was panting with greedy need, nipples as hard as freshly-blown glass. He nuzzled my neck then inclined his head to me, licking his lips suggestively.

"Tell me lover. Whose body is your body made to fit?" He pushed in, just a fraction of an inch and my eyes rolled back. It really felt like home. My legs opened and I wrapped them around his waist, forcing him in just a little deeper. He allowed the centimeter.

I was so close but he would go no farther.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "My body is made for your body."

His cobalt eyes lit up.

"As mine is made for yours."

With that, he thrusted into my depths and I screamed at the contact, the angle, the reclaiming of something that I had thought was lost, and for the man who had seen me through the heights of ecstasy and the lows of devastation.

When we erupted at the crest of climax and he tore into the flesh of my breast, the whole world could have been burning and we wouldn't have spared it a second glance.

***

_What did you think? Did I do him justice? Was it up to par? Can you tell how nervous about this I am? _

_Are you wondering where we can go from here? Guess what, there is definitely more plot (and lemons) to, ahem, come. _

_Please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter! Reviews are like Chocolate-Covered Vikings to me…. -SJ_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N**__ Thanks so much for all the beautiful review love you gave so freely for Chapter 26. Man, it's almost like you like when Eric & Sookie *squeeze* or something? Weird. Glad I didn't disappoint! *looks down at ragged fingernails* I like this chapter. I don't know why. I hope you like it too…. _

_**PS**__ I don't own the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Wish I did, but I don't, so please don't sue my lily arse._

**Chapter 17**

There are certain things I have come to recognize as utter truths in my life:

The first being, for as much as I would kill to just be an ordinary girl with ordinary problems, I am not. I am not nor will I ever be _that girl._

Second, my gift will always put both me and those I care for in the line of fire.

And finally, do not even _hesitate_ to doubt the awesome lovemaking skills of a thousand (or so) year old Viking God.

I was laying upside down, sort-of. Okay, I was literally upside-down, naked with my back and body on the bed, bent over so that my head was resting on the carpet. Eric had succumbed to sleep mid-thrust, and he was lying on his stomach with his head hanging off the opposite side of the bed.

Yeah, I didn't think it was physically possible either. Oh, and don't even think that he left me in that uncomfortable position unsatisfied- because believe me, I was Sa-Tis-Fied.

We had spent the entire night rediscovering each other's bodies Over. And Over. And Over Again. I tried to tally them up in my head, but lost count at seventeen orgasms. Oh yes. This night would live on in my top, top, top sexual experiences. Oh we'd talked about things too, a little, but it was just so much easier to be in the moment with him.

To be honest, I truly had no idea how long I had been stuck in this awkward position, though it definitely hadn't felt awkward at the time… I just kept fading in and out in a haze of murky satisfaction. Eric, somehow, was still hard as a rock, stuck deep inside of me. I shifted slightly, trying to wriggle free without breaking my neck or disturbing his slumber. I lifted myself up, a la eighth grade gymnastics into a bridge and pushed with all my might.

"Urggghh-aarrr!" I grunted when my pussy was finally unlocked from the death grip his cock had me stuck in and landed into a tangled heap on the floor with a grin on my lips and a deep contentment warming my core.

When I managed to right my body my grin widened at the gorgeous bit of man ass peeking up at me. "Wowzers," I mumbled and felt the heat and wetness start to gather, once again, between my thighs. I scolded myself for getting horny at the mere sight of an innocent, defenseless man who was dead to the world.

He was as still as a dormant volcano, but I knew through the quiet buzzing of his soul across the bond, that Eric was sated and happy. I grabbed his feet and pulled him fully onto the bed and then covered his cool skin with a blanket and set out to begin my day.

After I washed up dressed in a comfy blue and white striped cotton maxi-dress, I decided to see if this place had a pool I could relax beside to kill the hours before Eric woke. I felt really silly when I remembered, oh yeah, this is a vampire hotel. Duh. Pools are probably not the first thing on the builder's To Do list. I snorted.

But that reminded me of why I ended up at _Sanguine Exsanguinations_ in the first place, and my cheerful mood darkened. _Who am I, walking around like I didn't just witness the deaths of two people I considered friends or seen the bloody vestiges of murdered strangers? _I was appalled at my own callousness, and wondered what it said about me as a person that I wasn't more of a mess.

I needed to process the night before, and the one before that, and the best place to do that would definitely be at a café, or somewhere I could get a good breakfast. _Does this place have a restaurant? _Meals on Wheels was probably more like it- or should I say Snacks with Racks, I thought as I watched several buxom girls sporting serious neck-scarrage duck through the service exit near the reception area.

Realizing it was none of my nevermind, I wandered over to the concierge stand where a late twenty-something guy stood behind a podium. He was wearing a maitre d' style tux and his very visibly Nice n' Easied blue-black hair was slicked back. It even looked like he had penciled in a widow's peak on his forehead in a poor homage to Dracula. These places always seemed to have the strangest characters…

Venturing up to the concierge stand, I started, "Hi, I'm staying in room 410 and-"

He leered down at me, "Sookie, I gather? Sookie Stackhouse?"

My heart started to thud with anxiety. No one knew who I was there. "How did you-?"

"Staying with Eric, ah," he looked down and rifled through papers, "Eric Northman?"

"Yes, how do you know my name, sir?" I really just needed a straight answer; I was seriously getting tired of the run around. So I sighed and lowered my shields to reach out to this Dracula-wannabe.

Heat flushed my cheeks before he could even respond. "Well, umm, apparently someone from, ah what room was it again? Yes, Room 410- was moaning- er, shouting – or should I say, _hollering_ that name all night last night."

Oh. Shit. Were we really that loud? All they needed to do was knock!

"We actually called your room a few times, and some of our staff came to your room to try to rouse-," he stammered, "But after a few hours… we realized that you were, uh, indisposed."

They came to the room? How did we not hear them…? Oh yeah…

"Oh, my goodness. Sir, I am truly very sorry about any inconvenience we may have caused." I was dying and wishing there was a hole I could go crawl into.

He ran a hand over his greasy hair and chanced a glance up at me. "Oh, well you know, luckily not a lot of our guests are asleep at that time of night. Vampire hotel, right? That and we managed to send out a complimentary pair of ear plugs to all the remaining guests on your floor. And to the ones on the floors above and below you."

So now one of the most incredible nights of sex in my life was being followed by one of the most embarrassing mornings I'd ever faced. Super.

"Okay…" I started to back away slowly so that I could end this excruciating encounter.

"Ah, Miss Stackhouse?" Dracula called.

_What the hell now?_ "Yes?"

"Was there something you needed from me?"

Oh yeah, that. I let out the breath I was holding and managed to get a few café suggestions before I was practically jogging away from the concierge desk.

I was gathering my thoughts, and my dignity, just outside the hotel entrance and was about to head off when Dracula panted out after me.

"Wow, you left fast," he breathed. "Lucky I have this superspeed."

_And you are following me why?_

I raised an eyebrow at the concierge, waiting. "Sorry, I can't believe I almost let you leave without giving you these." He handed me a haphazard stack of scraps of paper. I squinted down at the papers.

"Your messages, Miss Stackhouse."

I thanked the strange man as he bowed deeply to me and turned to reenter the hotel. "Oops!" he said theatrically. I watched as he pounded on the glass door. An annoyed looking reservationist meandered to the door and shifted it open.

"What, Ruben?"

He hissed at her in melodramatic contempt. "You must invite me in!"

She palmed her forehead, "Ruben. You're not a fucking vampire."

"I will stand here until you let me come in. I have nothing but centuries."

"Dude. Get your ass inside or I'm gonna have Joey write your toolbox self up for being an idiot."

Ruben made a gravelly noise in the back of his throat that I supposed was his way of imitating a vampire's growl and headed back inside.

I was shaking my head as I made my way to the little restaurant that sounded the best. Café Azul was tucked near the south end of Ocean Drive and I was able to snag a table outside in the sunshine. After I rather guiltily put in a massive food order and the server returned with my spicy Bloody Mary, I realized I still hadn't checked the stack of messages Ruben had given me.

How do these people even know where I am? I wondered as I pulled them out of my purse. There were five messages.

The first read:

**Attn:** _Sookie Stackhouse_ **From:** _Amelia Broadway_

**Message:** _Made it to Utah. Easier to breathe here. Will call soon. Sorry_.

The second:

**Attn:** _S. Stackhouse_ **From:** _Claude (says you will know his last name)_

**Message:** _Call. Tell C moveurarse.  
_

Third:

**Attn:** _Screamer, I mean Sookie_ **From:** _Adrian_

**Message:** _Need to talk. Can we meet? 555-5543  
_

Fourth:

**Attn:** _Aww Sookie Sookie Now!_ **From:** _Adrian_

**Message:** _Urgent. Need to see you. Please call. 555-5543  
_

Fifth:

**Attn:**_ Stackhouse_ **From:** _Adrian, again._

**Message:** _555-5543  
_

Adrian. Shit. I am so not ready for this. I fumbled around in my purse for my cell phone for a while before I remembered that it was off and somewhere deep inside my suitcase. Crap. Crap. Crap.

The busboy refilling my water pointed me toward the phone at the hostess stand and I punched in Adrian's number wondering vaguely what Claude's message was alluding to.

"_Hello?"_ A guarded voice picked up on the second ring.

"Adrian?"

"_Sookie."_ I heard a sigh ring out over the phone line and I winced. "_Where are you?"_

"Um, a little place called Café Azul, grabbing breakfast, or I guess its lunchtime now, isn't it?"

I wrapped the cord around my finger as the hostess glared up at me for hogging the phone. "Adrian, where are you?" I could hear a muffled whooshing noise in the background.

"I am not far- and I'm on my way."

I didn't know how to feel as I heard his engine rev in the background.

I hung the phone up dazedly and traced my hand over the wallpaper as I wandered back to my table.

***

When the silver SUV pulled up, I had to fight the urge to vomit. All the images from that night just poured back in. The red-black blood of the were-pythons dripping over the pristine tile floor. Austin clinging to a headless torso like a life preserver. The smell of the vomit, mixed with the serpentine odor that wafted off the dead and dying men. Felix's maniacal eyes. Felix's lifeless eyes. Austin's brain matter…. I clutched my stomach and took a deep swig of my Bloody Mary.

Well, that was an ironic drink choice wasn't it?

Adrian put it in park and I watched as he seemed to be trying to get himself together. I stood up when he got out of the car and he noticed my presence. Wordlessly, he slammed the car door and closed the distance between us, gathering me in his arms and breathing deeply into my hair, kissing the crown of my head softly.

Oh, shit.

Oh. Shit.

Ohshitohshitohshit.

Eric was going to freak, but this was a conversation that needed to happen. And I mean, come on. I'm not stupid, I'm sure it's not like he's just been sitting around, playing Monopoly in my absence. No, I couldn't turn my back on Adrian- not if he needed me.

Decision having been made, I hugged into his warmth, and then pulled back- albeit a bit awkwardly. He was staring hard at me, waiting to lock my gaze in his. I held it, then blushed and looked towards the beach.

We started at the same time:

"Are you okay, 'cause-"

"Sookie- I just wanted to tell you-"

"Let's sit, and then you can go first," I said, and he nodded curtly, pulling my chair out for me.

The watchful server hurried to get Adrian's drink order. He raked his fingers through his hair, saying, "I'll have what she's having. Could you make mine a double?" She nodded and raced off to the bar.

As Adrian leaned back in his chair, it was then that I really had the chance to inspect him. He looked as nondescript as a man who should have a cologne named after him could look. Dark jeans, black t-shirt, messy hair. When he pulled on dark sunglasses I noticed the deep cuts on his forearms that were highlighted by bruises everywhere else.

I waited for him to start, but he just fidgeted for a few minutes. Finally he leaned in and said, "I want- no I _need_ to tell you how sorry I am for everything that happened the other night… If I had any idea at the danger I was putting you in- just by being near my _brother_, I …"

I reached across the table, "May I?" He nodded, so I slowly removed his sunglasses. I needed to see his face. I folded them slowly in my hands as I considered my response.

"Adrian, I know you want to blame yourself, but you had no idea about the things your brother was doing. He's your brother, you know?"

"He _was_ my brother." His face was tortured, and I could tell by the darkness under his eyes that he hadn't been sleeping. I scooted my chair closer around the table and wrapped my arm around his back, stroking his strained shoulders gently.

"I am so sorry this happened. To you. To your brother. To Austin. To everyone."

He turned sharply to me, and took both of my hands in his. I fought to keep my shields up at the contact. "Sookie, for you to have had to see that- it nearly breaks me in half! And I can't believe I just met the most beautiful, interesting woman of my entire existence and things got so fucking mad."

I caught my breath at the strength of the images coming from his brain as they battered at my shields.

His cherry-chocolate eyes penetrated my defenses and I finally let his thoughts drift in. My eyes started to water and it took all I had not to lock myself in the bathroom and bawl. "You are so special, Sookie. I know we've only known each other a short time, but I see it… I see just how incredible you are…"

He was imagining me in a white dress, holding his hand. The picture flickered over to us in a field, with two perfect young children playing tag. He saw himself straddling me on a bed, with a white sheet pulled over both of our heads as the noonday sun lit up the scene- my face grinned up at him.

"Didn't it just feel right to you, like it did for me? _Doesn't_ it feel right?" I bit my lip at the simplicity of the images, yet they stirred something so deep within me that I didn't even know it existed.

"You see them, don't you? I didn't know if you would be able to, but you see what I see, right?"

I was still struck by the pure beauty of his thoughts, so I didn't answer. _Is there a place where life is that easy?_

"Things are out of control right now, and I am probably going to hell for even talking to you about this stuff, when my brother and my best friend are… But I had to tell you how I feel. Life is so short, Sook."

_Not for everyone. _

I needed to change the subject. This was all too much to take in.

"What, um, where did you-?" I struggled to put a calm face on before I got the answer to the question I didn't want to ask.

Thankfully, the waitress chose that moment to return with my food. Adrian had politely declined food, but his eyes bulged when my enormous breakfast emerged. I realized my eyes were probably bigger than my stomach and I had the server return with an extra plate so I could make sure Adrian ate something. My stomach growled, and Adrian managed a weak grin, saying, "Please don't hesitate on my account. I love a woman who can eat."

I rolled my eyes a little, "It's not like this every day. I just woke up today feeling really… _ravenous_." I could feel the blush creeping up my neck as the words fell off my lips, remembering Eric's declaration the night before.

Adrian gave me a quizzical look as I chewed on a piece of toast. I steeled my nerves. "What did you do with… everything? I mean, I rushed out of there so fast I didn't even help you at all."

Adrian set his Bloody Mary on the table and squinted up at me. "Sookie, I would never want you to have to help," he paused, searching, "_clean up_ after what happened the other night. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, let alone someone as gentle and innocent as you!"

I couldn't wipe the look of complete bewilderment off of my face. The memory of Debbie Pelt splattered across my kitchen, and of depositing Jerry Falcon's decaying remains in the middle of effing nowhere assaulted my 'gentle and innocent' conscience.

"I hate to break it to you, but I have seen my fair share of horrors. I tried to tell you that the other night. Why don't you try me? You'll probably be surprised."

He looked around anxiously before he said, "Yeah, but can we get out of here? I don't want anybody to overhear."

I was pretty much finished, so I asked for the check. Before the server could even set it on the table, Adrian had whipped out some cash. "That should cover it, right?"

"That's way more than enough, sir," the girl said, holding the stack of twenty's in her hand.

"Just keep the rest," he said, throwing his arm around my shoulder and leading me out of the café.

Once we were walking along the beach, and safely out of earshot of those frolicking on the sand, he began.

"When you left with your ah, _friend_, it took us probably two hours to even attempt to figure out what to do."

"I'm telling you, you should have let me stay. I am actually excellent at cleaning up… scenes of that nature," I interjected.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened, or do you just want to offer your skills as a CSI?" I chuckled a little bit as Adrian took my hand in his and absently rubbed the skin of my palm with his thumb. "Like I was saying, it took a long time before any of us was able to even start to figure out what to do with… everything. But finally, Perry just took over and we were able to come up with a plan. I mean, it's not like we could just call the cops and say, oh, yeah, so my friends and I were hunting pythons illegally and then once we killed a bunch of them they turned back into humans, which was apparently awesome, if you were to ask my homicidal brother. Oh yeah officer, and did I mention that the girl I'm falling for then read my brother's thoughts to find out he's been murdering for a helluva long time and had plans to kill my house manager who just so happens to be a fucking mermaid, so I had the happy job of putting a bullet between his eyes? Then guess what happened, Officer? My best friend decided his life was no longer worth living and committed suicide on my kitchen floor. "

Yeah, that probably wasn't feasible.

I let my eyes wander the horizon as he gathered his thoughts. This would be something I would need to know, in case the cops came questioning.

"So," he started. I could tell how hard this was for him, even to talk about, and I wished I knew the right thing to say. I squeezed his hand and he pressed his lips together. "So, we took my brother and Austin's uh, remains to the middle of nowhere, and we, we fucking burned them." He was picking up speed, so I just let him get it out. "We had to, you know? But we couldn't let them burn all the way, just enough so that nobody would recognize their ugh, wounds. But the smell, Sookie? Have you ever smelled human flesh burning? I can't sleep, because every time I shut my eyes, I swear I'm breathing it in all over again."

I nodded my head, imagining just how horrible it would be to have to go through that. I didn't know if I would have had the strength to do what he did.

"But we couldn't just burn them and leave them, right? I mean, what would I say to Lily when she asked where her fiancé was?" A ghost of a smile touched his lips, and then quickly disappeared. "Well, remember _Margaux-Future?"_

Of course I remembered the fabulous yacht I had almost killed him on.

"Well, _Margaux_ has no future."

"What do you mean?" I asked incredulously as we stopped walking and I peered up at his face.

"Perry, Ethan, and I took her and one of our smaller boats out as far as we could, and left Austin and Felix in the staterooms below the deck. Then we set it on fire and got our asses the hell out of there on the other boat."

"Oh. My. God." The weight of that night came in abusively then, and I had to fight off the panic and anxiety that was creeping up my chest. I watched his eyes cloud up and he palmed the moisture away.

I pulled the beautiful man down to me and pressed my cheek into his as I held on to him for dear life. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I cooed gently into his ear, as if it were a record playing on repeat.

"Thoughts of you have been the only thing keeping my head above water these past few days," he whispered, and I gulped as an acid guilt set in.

I unwrapped my arms from the trunk of his frame, and set us on a course beck toward the café. "And the shifters? What happened to the one who still had a spark?"

"Well, once again I have to thank God for Perry, because he has been playing an integral role in my negotiations with the were-pythons of Greater Miami-Dade. They took care of the bodies, for a price of course. But once they realized what I have, let's just say their demand for reparations increased _exponentially_."

"And the shifter?"

He sighed heavily. "Recuperating in one of my guest rooms. Try explaining that one away."

"I take it your worldview has changed a bit in the past few days, hasn't it? At least in regards to supes? Just be glad you didn't kill a vampire," I was rambling, but it was true.

A grim nod was all I received in response.

"Wait, isn't it really dangerous for Perry to be doing any of these negotiations?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Oh, well he told me the other night that other supes…" I let my voice trail off at the confused expression on Adrian's face. "You're lucky to have Perry." It was lame, but it was all I could think to say.

"You're telling me."

"Did the police come?"

"Yeah, it's been nothing but interviews and statements since they got the first report of the burning boat. I was so glad to get out of there today, you have no idea. And being with you just makes me feel that much more like a human being."

We were approaching civilization again, girls in thongs paraded along the waterfront while ogling teens panted behind them.

"No one saw you or your friends at our place either, so I think you are in the clear. Not that any of this is your fault…"

"Adrian?"

"Mm hm?" He had stopped me, and looked like he was considering kissing me. Okay, waves of lust were rolling like thunder off of his body.

"How did you find me? To know where to leave a message," I was hesitant to ask, but I had to know.

His entire energy changed, darkened and he pulled his hand from my grip.

"Sook, if you've got enough money in this town, you can get anything you want. Information is easy." His eyes penetrated me deeply and I could feel anger bubbling beneath his surface. "That and when a six foot four, blonde _vampire_ comes into town, let's just say that people notice. Add to the mix a _very_ public display of affection with a tiny blonde human woman, and even the bloggers take heed."

My heart attempted to leap from my chest and out of my mouth.

"God, Adrian. I never meant to hurt you- I told you, it's-"

"Complicated. Yeah, I remember you saying that once or twice," he retorted dryly before a slight grin curved upon his lips. "But don't think I give up that easily."

***

_What did you think of Chapter 17? Did some of your questions get answered? I actually had a lot of fun writing it. Do you know what would be so much fun that Chapter 18 would come at *superspeed*??? I bet you can guess….. __**REVIEWS!**_

_Thanks for reading!!! Hearts and fangy nibbles for all, SJ_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer**__**:**__ All the Sookie Stackhouse books and characters belong to Charlaine Harris herself, and to no one else. Especially me. Boo. _

_**A/N:**__ Thanks so very much for reviewing. To reward you, I thought I should give you a good sized chapter, complete with an Adrian POV and an EPOV! BTW, I was surprised how many of you were shocked that Sookie would go talk to Adrian! I would think, if nothing else, she would want to get some closure or check on Adrian's mental health…. Hmmm. Gotta love how protective we are over our hot tamale Eric. _

_Also, I added some pics to my profile of the things I used for inspiration. You can check out the house, the cars, the hotel room, and *sigh* Sookie's bathtub at Adrian's casa. _

**Chapter 18**

I clumsily set out a lounge chair on the beach, cursing myself for forgetting my sunglasses and sunblock as I settled in on my towel. It was getting late in the afternoon and I watched as carefree tourists and locals relaxed and played around me.

I rolled onto my stomach and peered through the slats in the chair at the pale sand below. I furrowed my brow as I tried to block out everyone around me and picked up a handful of the sand, letting it fall softly through my fingers. I replayed my last few minutes with Adrian in my head:

"_Sook, if you've got enough money in this town, you can get anything you want. Information is easy." His eyes penetrated me deeply and I could feel anger bubbling beneath his surface. "That and when a six foot four, blonde vampire comes into town, let's just say that people notice. Add to the mix a very public display of affection with a tiny blonde human woman, and even the bloggers take heed."_

_My heart attempted to leap from my chest and out of my mouth. _

"_God, Adrian. I never meant to hurt you- I told you, it's-"_

"_Complicated. Yeah, I remember you saying that once or twice," he retorted dryly before a slight grin curved upon his lips. "But don't think I give up that easily."_

_We had almost reached his car by that time, and Adrian winked down at me. "Can I give you a ride? Because, really, I think I might like to meet this dead guy who has somehow managed to capture your attention so fully… I gotta know what I'm up against."_

_I glared at him and said, "First of all, his name is Eric. And he is Un-Dead. And second, no, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to meet him." I softened, wondering who I was really protecting. "Look, thanks for the offer, but it would probably be better if I walked back- it's not too far." _

_A flash of hurt crossed his eyes, but I needed him to understand, so I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand. I almost had to draw my hand away at the pain that pulsed across his thoughts. He was exhausted and as sad as I think I'd ever heard another human-being be. He was clinging to the idea of me and him like a life-preserver in the middle of a tsunami. His world was upside down, and he feared it would never right itself again. _

_I pulled out of his thoughts, and slowly lowered my hand from his cheek, but he caught it in his own before it was to my side, pulling me close. I fought the stirrings that tried to fight their way out of my body and looked up into the chocolate abyss of his eyes, almost losing myself in the process. _

"_Adrian," I whispered. "There is so much you don't understand about my world. I thought there was a chance we could work, but we can't. I am always going to be tied to Eric… he will always be a part of me."_

_He shook his head violently."No. No, Sookie," he whispered against my ear and pulled me roughly even tighter to his body, wrapping his warmth around me. I swallowed the memory of our night together down, attempting to deny the effect his hot breath in my ear and fingers raking through my hair had on me. "I could love you better than he ever could. He would let you go, if he knew how happy you would be. He would let you go- there is no binding so strong that it cannot be broken."_

_I tensed, "He cares for me, Adrian. And I care for him."_

"_And you do not care for me?"_

_I winced as I said, "I really like you too, but there's just too much… I just can't."_

"_Are you happy with him?" He gently kissed my forehead and then pulled back, waiting expectantly. _

_I looked around at the teeming street before me, flashes of our reunion and the weeks he stayed with me without any memories mingling with the feelings of hurt and pain from the last three months. I chuckled a bit as a poem Gran used to read to me flashed through my head. "When things are good they are very, very good."_

"_Yet, when they are bad they are horrid?" Adrian finished, frowning and catching me off guard. I really didn't expect him to know that. _

_I brushed his question off and said, "It's just not a good idea."_

_He lifted one side of his mouth up in an odd half-smile, saying, "But it's not because you don't like me?"_

_I sighed audibly before he encapsulated me in a giant bear hug, and then started toward his car. "I have to go check on my patient back at _Sal _and make another statement to the police. I'll be seeing you, Señorita."_

I pulled my head out of the memory of our conversation and turned over onto my back still feeling uneasy about the way our conversation had ended. The sun was lowering in the sky and a big part of me was dreading going back to the hotel. I just didn't want Eric to overreact to me having gone to speak with Adrian. I sighed deeply, considering a quick frolic in the salty water to rinse off the light sheen of sweat that coated my body.

Eric had pretty much confirmed my worst fears when I returned back to the hotel to change into my bathing suit.

_I snuck like a prowler across the lobby, trying to stay out of Crapula/Ruben's line of sight. The last thing I needed was to rehash my sexcapades with him, let alone any of the hotel staff. I then skulked up the stairs to avoid other hotel guests and raced down the hallway, slamming the door shut behind me when I finally reached the room. I applauded my ability to stay out of sight, feeling a bit like Foxxy Cleopatra on some badass secret mission. _

_Since Eric was dead as a doornail (for the day), I just ripped off my clothes and threw them haphazardly around while I plunged through my wardrobe. When I finally found the white bikini I was looking for, I started to dress hastily. It was then that I heard the strange noise. I sucked in a breath and slunk with my back against the closest wall, unmoving, as I scanned the room for intruders. _

_Nothing._

_There was just the typical non-entity that defined my vampire in the immediate vicinity, so I relaxed out of my position to investigate the source of the noise. I looked up at the AC vents, but the air was off. I peeked into the bathroom, but nothing was dripping or making any sort of hissing noise at all. _

_Then I heard it again. I reeled my head in the direction of the offending noise and squinted in disbelief. Eric was softly growling in his sleep. I scratched my forehead as I made my way toward his sleeping form. I realized the source of his ire. The dress I had carelessly strewn about in the rush to find my bikini had landed beside him on the bed. And he smelled Adrian. _

_Fuck. Me. _

_I plucked the offending dress hastily off the bed along with the rest of the clothes I had been wearing and stuffed them to the bottom of my suitcase, a little annoyed and a little nervous at his reaction. _

"_Damnit, Eric! I can't just shred my clothes every time a man hugs me!" I was attempting to reason with a man who was dead until dark, and feeling like quite the fool as I did it. I left in a huff and in a bit of a hurry, trying to get away from yelling at inanimate objects, forgetting my sunnies and sunblock in the process. _

I let out a gust of air as I realized that the sun was finally setting. I couldn't let Eric think I was avoiding him. Not after the delicious night we had just shared. In fact, if I didn't have the distinct feeling I was about to have a date with a firing squad, I would have probably left half an hour ago.

But alas…

I stood up gingerly, realizing that I had acquired quite the little sunburn during my ruminations. Oh great, yet another thing to add to the list of _Super-Cool Shit I Did on My Summer Vacation_. I rather wildly imagined myself standing in front of my class in tenth-grade homeroom with my hair in pigtails, snapping Bubblicious and saying, "Well, Mr. Merlotte, on my summer vacation I fucked one dead guy, one live one, saw some murders and a suicide, got a sunburn, rode on a pretty yacht, got two fun concussions, and almost got hmmm, _exsanguinated_ at a club for supernatural freaks."

Don't ask me why Sam was the teacher at my imaginary school. It's my fantasy.

I was stalling and I knew it as I stood watching the crash of the waves, dreading my return to reality. Soon enough though, I would be back to the _real_ reality of my life in Bon Temps, and hopefully this week would all fade into a distant memory. It was with a considerable feeling of melancholy that I gathered my things and started to trudge back toward the hotel humming one line to one song along the way.

_Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream…._

_Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream…._

I don't know what I expected when I entered the hotel room, but it sure wasn't this.

The room was pristine, as if turndown service had just occurred. I touched a fluffy pillow, half expecting to find a chocolate waiting for me. There wasn't. Do you know what else wasn't waiting for me? Eric.

*****E*****

It is common knowledge that vampires don't dream. But if we did, I would surely dream of Sookie.

I woke up furious, trying to remember why I was in such a bad mood. Last night had been perfect, and it probably ranked in the top ten sexual encounters of my existence. And that is saying something when you consider the span of my life and the length of my cock. I tried to attempt to mentally tally the lovers I'd had, but shook myself out of these asinine thoughts to focus on the matter at hand.

It was something that occurred while I slept that infuriated me. I knew that for sure because every second of my night with Sookie had been organically orgasmic, and I could find no fault with the way things wrapped up. That was a first for me- succumbing to the light locked tight in the confines of a woman's depths. My fangs ran out slightly and I realized I was somehow still fully erect from my morning ministrations.

Okay, that was one reason to wake up in a foul mood. Sookie was nowhere nearby, and I had a constant ache that needed to be attended to.

A drifting scent caught in my nostrils as the air conditioning unit kicked to life.

"Mother fucker," I growled, tearing the sheet off my body and tracking the odor to its origin. Her damn suitcase. Of course. But this was fresh scent.

I squatted down, unzipping the plain blue, practical bag. Slowly, I made my way through her things, sniffing the soft fabrics gently, taking a little longer than probably was necessary on her undergarments, and then tossing the inoffensive articles behind me. I hissed when I found the blue and white striped dress balled up at the bottom of the luggage with a pair of panties and a strapless bra.

"Sneaky bastard," I muttered under my breath as I balled the fabric up in my hands. I tensed myself for what was coming. _I swear, if his scent is on this, I will kill him,_ I thought pulling the simple white thong out of the bundle.

I pressed the panties to my face, groaning when I didn't smell _him_ on them. I glared down at them, and muttered, "You have no idea how close you were to meeting your final end, my friend."

I took a few moments to make my decision. As I considered, I repacked Sookie's suitcase, sans one specific article and zipped it closed, while chugging down a tasteless, generic blood. I made up the bed, giving her a brief window of time to return to me and convince me otherwise. I sighed when she did not return, threw on some clothes, and left the hotel with a blue and white striped dress in hand.

*******

I decided it was time I returned the Maserati to my dear friend Adrian, who I had learned so very much about the night prior. While Sookie and I hadn't talked each others' ears off, since our lips seemed to be indisposed so much of the night, she had given me greatly valuable information on her new plaything without even realizing it.

I brought the dress along just in case I needed to track the young one, even though I now felt as though I could recognize this child's scent in a crowd of thousands. I shuddered at that knowledge. I knew just when Sookie returned to the hotel as I could feel her anxiety at my disappearance through our bond, and I shook my head that it had come to this. But it had to be done.

The drive was much shorter than I anticipated, and I grinned as the navigation system asked me where I wanted to go. "Home," I replied and the technology took me straight to the Fernandez estate in the Keys. _You have to love technology_, I thought wryly as I gently stroked the supple honey-colored leather considering an upgrade on my loving companion- my corvette that is.

I slowed to a soundless stop in the huge roundabout in front of the mansion, taking a moment to actually look at the place where my Sookie had been, and had seen the true horrors and bigotry of human nature. It made my position all the more clear.

_Now, how to get an invitation inside?_

I ran my fingers through my hair, grabbing it at the base of my neck and tying it out of my face with one of Sookie's rubber bands that I had taken earlier. _Fuck it,_ I thought and propelled my body out of the car. _We can try this the easy way, and he can decide the course this night will take. _

I took a quick loop around the house, memorizing all the windows and exits as I slipped around the perimeter. I had a partial idea of the layout of the house, because although Sookie didn't realize it, I was actually already on my way to get her the other night before she called out for my help. The memory still burned hot in my consciousness.

_I had fought the cold desire and lust that had arched my back and ripped my fingernails to shreds. I stayed away for her, though it killed me to do so. And as I sat in that men's bathroom at Osiris after I beat her emotions off of me, pinning the door closed with my legs and staring up at the ceiling, something just snapped in me. I wouldn't let her go without a fight. I would rip her from his arms if I needed to. Sookie was mine._

_So I righted myself, wiped the porcelain flakes from the sink I had destroyed off of my shirt, and came for my Sookie. My telepath. My lover. _

_It just so happened that once I had tracked her halfway, I started to feel her terror. It soaked me to my core, yet she attempted to reel it in. She tried to be strong. But nothing could take the depth of that feeling away from me, so I used her fear to lead me straight to where she was, traumatized but breathing. I was outside when the shot went off, and I could have ripped this house down to its floorboards. And then she called out to me against the bond, and I wanted to shake her and tell her I was already here. I strained my ears, waiting for the three words that would mean her safety and the demise of those who dared to hurt my bonded. _

_Of course, they came. It was with a huge feeling of joy that I took the great mahogany door off its hinges and swept Her into my arms. _

_I remembered the shot, and huddling above her tiny body, willing to take any bullet to protect her sacred life. Afterward, Claudine's words drifted into my subconscious as I realized that yes, I would give my life for this woman happily. That Her short duration of existence had somehow become more important to me than my own much longer one. _

_When she finally realized she was safe and collapsed into the shelter of my embrace, I wondered how I had made it through my days over the past months without Her. I told her words that I have only rarely, if ever used. I am so…sorry. I was surprised that I meant the words as they flowed through me. But Sookie was mine, and I couldn't pretend not to be Hers anymore. _

In the time it took to think these wayward thoughts, I learned that yes, Adrian was home- his funk permeated the seals and crevices that held this gratuitous castle together. He was basically alone, save for a punk injured were in an upstairs room. Based on the amount of dried and nearly dried blood I smelled, this guy would not be a problem if things were to get… _interesting_.

I clenched the dress in my hand reinforcing my purpose at this place and stepped up to the new sturdy cherry wood door that stood where the old door had been. I fought to keep the smirk off my face as I pounded, making my presence known.

*****A*****

I was attaching silver and opal cufflinks to my sleeves when the security system first informed me of his presence. I was dressing to kill because tonight would either make me or break me. I sighed, sure that it was probably once again just a squirrel or bird, but picked up my vibrating phone from my pocket just to make sure. I learned the hard way that it never hurts to be too careful.

The power of the modern security system is incredible. Anytime my motion activated cameras are activated, a series of pictures are taken in rapid succession, three shots to be precise from every camera on the property. Then, before any authorities are alerted, the photos are emailed to my cell phone for me to peruse and determine the source of the cause. Text back one four digit code if the police need to be called, text another if it, which it usually is, is a friggin' bird.

Much to my surprise, the bane of my existence was on my property, and moving extremely quickly, if the photos were accurate. I had a feeling they were accurate. I typed in one code to send to the security company, and then hesitated with my finger on the _send_ button. I grunted, erasing the code, and typed in the other, hitting _send_.

I wandered to the depths of my walk-in closet, opening the 'circuit box' at the furthest corner and then peered at the four closed-circuit televisions, pushing at the small keypad below to change from camera to camera, and from view to view. I finally found the one I was looking for. He was moving much more slowly, with a look of intense concentration on his face, clutching a parcel in his hand. He seemed almost lost in thought. I quirked my head at the screen and zoomed in on the face of my adversary. How I ended up in a love triangle with a fucking vampire, I would never understand.

I waited to see what he would do once he got to my (new) door. I leaned into the wall, tapping my fingers impatiently as I waited for him to make a move. He was here, and all I could figure was that this wasn't a social call.

He seemed to find something funny about the sight of my door, and I decided exactly at that moment in time that I loathed this man. I loathed him from his stupid blonde dead head to his arrogant ass smile. I despised that he had some sort of hold on Sookie. And I fucking hated that he got to share a bed with her after all that she told me he put her through.

When he slammed his fist into my door I straightened my collar, latching the 'circuit box' on my way out.

"Yes?" I said with an air of contempt after I opened the door. I folded my arms against my chest, waiting expectantly.

He smirked up at me, nostrils flaring, and tossed my car keys up and down, jingling them annoyingly and clutching what I now recognized as Sookie's dress from earlier in his other hand. Why the fuck did he bring that? To show me he slept with her? What was this, _Sixteen Candles? _And now, not only did I hate him; I also wanted to kick him in the nuts for being so obnoxious.

I decided I would not be the one to break the silence. What was I supposed to do? Squeal like a little girl and jump up and down in thanks for him bringing me my car back? For as much as I gave a shit about that car, he could just fucking take it and leave the girl with me. I wondered vaguely if he would agree to something like that…. Vampires were supposed to be very materialistic… I shook my head to focus on the current situation, and continued waiting.

We just stared at each other for a full three minutes, him tossing my keys absentmindedly and me waiting for him to say something.

Finally, I shrugged and started to close the door on him. He didn't want to talk, that was fine by me.

I caught a grin turning up the corner of his stupid mouth and his foot was jammed in the door before I could secure it. I puffed out my cheeks and turned back around to the insufferable man.

I raised my eyebrows at him again. The man may have nothing but time, but he had come to me.

"We need to talk, my friend. Shall I join you inside? That and I do need to return your keys and thank you properly for the kindness you paid to _my_ Sookie."

I stifled the wry laugh that threatened to pass my lips. Eric sure as hell didn't look like a man who was here to thank me and I was not about to invite his ass in.

"Believe me, what was your name? Edward? I'm _so sorry_ it slipped my mind. Sookie never mentioned you to me. Strange, right?" I wrinkled my forehead in mock concentration. "Nope, definitely didn't mention you there, Kraven. But not to worry, it was my _intense pleasure_ caring for Sookie."

A flash of something like fire heated his eyes momentarily before it was replaced with something else. Something different.

"Interesting, she sure seemed to remember my name last night. Over, and over, and over again."

I never hated someone so intensely in such a short period of knowing them.

"Leave the keys on the doorstep."

"You sure you don't want to invite me in?" He hissed down at me, and I could feel him trying to exert his will over me, peering icily into my eyes. It was the strangest feeling, like you're a dog on a leash being led somewhere you really have no desire to go. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered hearing Nancy Grace on CNN say that if a vampire tried to glamour you, you should plug your ears, close your eyes and sing the _Star Spangled Banner. _

I'd never had occasion to try that shit before, and who knew about the validity of her claims, but I sure as hell was praising the bombs bursting through air and the land of the brave at that moment. When I could finally assure myself that I was not glamoured, I pulled my fingers out of my ear canals and squinted suspiciously up at the blonde asshole.

He had wrinkled his face up in confusion and was staring down at me with no small amount of speculation. When he saw me focusing on him, he broke out in hysterics, his booming laughter echoing into my foyer. I glared openly at the jerk.

He smoothed his hair as he tried to rein in his laughter, hiccupping and occasionally peering at me only to erupt again into hysterics.

"What did you expect me to do?" I asked, cutting him off mid-laugh. "Sit back and let you glamour me? I am not a complete idiot."

Eric slowly regained his composure, muttering, "Not a complete idiot," under his breath as he let his eyes roam over the state of my place.

"Your house looks good, for having so recently housed multiple corpses."

I was slightly taken aback at the change our conversation had taken. "My people are loyal to me," I started, and then snapped my jaw shut, not wanting to say too much.

"Merpeople are a loyal breed," he responded, once again surprising me with his knowledge. "I'm surprised you got a live one." Why did people always talk about Perry like that? That was definitely going to be something we would have to discuss when we met up later.

Eric snapped me out of my daze when he tossed me the keys. "I like you, Adrian. I don't want to have to dispose of you, and _my_ Sookie seems rather fond of your life. So I am going to do you a favor."

Eric got a deadly look in his eyes and his fangs ran down, and it was then that I caught a true glimpse of the real vampire within. I would be remiss to say I felt no fear.

"But if I _ever_ again smell your _odor_ on my Sookie's body, I promise you with complete earnestness, you will not have long on this earth. No amount of money, no favor, no friend, _nothing_ will save your worthless, pointless life from my rage. I will kill you. Sookie is mine. She is not yours, and as long as I walk this earth she will never be yours."

I was still absorbing his words as he melted away into the darkness.

_Possessive prick._

_*******_

_A/N What did you think of the strange showdown at OK Corral? Possibilities, maybe? _

_Get ready for things to heat back up in the next chapter- though maybe not in the way you expect….. dun dun dun…_

_There is a legend that has passed from mother to daughter (and son!) and from generation to generation. It goes: Words of Review Bring Plenty of Gracious Viking Dreams….._

_Thanks for reading! -SJ_


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **_Sorry for the delay in updating. I have had a few rough weeks, and had some days where it was a struggle to just turn on the computer. Anyhoo, enough with the rough stuff. I need to give a shout out to __**Kalina-blue**__ for alerting me to a plot hole, so we are going to assume that Perry told Adrian to rescind Eric's invitation after they left, that's why Eric couldn't just walk in the house. Also, to __**RedSonjaWarrior **__for the positive PM that made me happy enough to want to take my computer out of the virtual trashcan and write some more. _

_Oh, and the Sookmeister's dress link will be posted on my profile once the crazy server stuff gets fixed and I can save anything to my profile._

_Most importantly, these characters do not belong to me, nor do any of the Sookie Stackhouse books. I seek no financial compensation or gain from writing this. Enjoy #19!_

* * *

**Chapter 19**

The pit in my stomach grew as I paced the suite. I would not walk away from this man again. I would wait.

Rolling onto the bed, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and attempted to nap, but my anxiety levels were too great for my body to even consider sleep. I pursed my lips, considering, and stared at the door, willing him to come home.

I decided to wait him out in the crappy hotel bathtub. As the tub slowly filled, I poured in a generous amount of lilac bath gel that filled the tub with bubbles and the room with a sweet aroma. I inhaled deeply as the steam that gathered in the room melded with the lilac. We only had one night left in this city. So much had happened in the past few days that I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about my rapidly approaching departure. I still needed to settle things with Eric and I had the distinct feeling Adrian would find his way back to me somehow.

I turned off the faucet and slid into the foam and heat of the water, piling my hair on top of my head and leaning it against the cold tile of the too small tub. To be honest, part of me was ready to give in completely to Eric and give him my heart. But I was just so afraid to put myself out there and have him be unresponsive to me or worse- incapable. He is a vampire who has lived by his own rules for centuries. Why should he _yield_ to me? Would that give him less of whatever it is that keeps driving me back to him?

_But he also keeps coming back for _me_, _I reminded myself.

I shampooed my hair while I considered these things and then massaged in a coconut conditioner, letting it sit while I soaped my skin. _Where is he,_ I thought nervously as I dunked my legs into the water, where the bubbles had begun depleting. I plugged my nose and sunk under the water and started rinsing out the conditioner. I loved the feeling of being under water, and I opened my eyes slowly to stare at the ceiling. The water stung a little in my eyes, but it also felt good. In fact, I felt warmer, safer, and more comfortable than I had in days, months even.

Shit! That was not a feeling from the bath water.

I quickly pulled my head out of the water, rubbing my eyes to clear my vision.

And there he was, standing in the doorway with a quiet smirk on his face. As usual he was perfection, wearing a light, black leather jacket with a white button-up and a skinny black tie and dark jeans. His hair was pulled back and messy strands slipped out of their constraints and into his face. He held a white paper bag.

"Towel?" he asked.

"Oh," I grimaced, "I'm okay now. You scared me, a little."

He ignored my last comment and made his way toward the bathtub in the tiny bathroom and leaned against the wall, looking down at me expectantly.

"I didn't know where you were, so I thought I'd just take a bath…" I stammered. "Business?"

Smirking, he responded, "Sort of." I felt my pulse speed and I forced my body to calm because I knew he could tell. He grinned, "I to pick up some clothes," he gestured at his ensemble and continued, "And I thought you might be hungry, so I got you dinner."

I felt a huge wave of relief as he lifted the white paper sack and handed it to me. "I wondered if you had the chance to try some of the delicacies of the area, and this just seemed fitting."

I lifted a soapy hand and looked inquiringly into the sack. "A sandwich?"

"_Medianoche_, it's a Cuban favorite. Or so I hear."

I pulled out a half of the diagonally sliced sandwich and moaned. It smelled so good.

"_Medianoche?"_

"Midnight sandwich; apparently that's the best time to eat them." He looked at the sandwich with a mixture of both deep longing and acute repulsion. I chuckled a little, taking a bite and moaning again. _So good._

"Thanks. You really didn't have to do that, you know," I muttered as I pulled a pickle out to eat and then licked the juice off my fingers.

Eric cleared his throat loudly, looking at the wall above the toilet and sticking his hand into the bath water. "You seem surprised that I got you food. You didn't think I'd be somewhere else, did you?" He stared at me with a completely blank, yet somewhat puppy dog expression.

I choked a little on the bite of _medianoche_ I had just stuck in my mouth. Swallowing quickly, I tried to come up with a game plan. I chanced a glance into his blue eyes, and sighed audibly. I just couldn't lie to him when he looked at me like that.

_Bite the bullet, Stackhouse. _

"I went out to eat today and I saw Adrian. I had to, Eric. He has lost so much, and he needed someone to talk to." I placed the sandwich on some tin foil on the ledge of the tub and pulled some of the remaining bubbles toward my body, suddenly self-conscious.

Eric raised an eyebrow at me, and I continued nervously. "I just don't know what to do about you, you know? Does that make sense?" I could feel my body tensing as I fought at the word vomit that was trying to force its way out of my body.

"Damn it, Eric! You were gone for so long, and I know you had De Castro's shit going on or whatever, but not _one_ phone call? Not a single call? And every day I'm waiting, like some stupid kid whose dad had just gone out for some milk or cigarettes or something and just- Never. Came. Home. And here I am, waiting by the fucking window." I could feel the traitor tears gathering and I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. This is so not how I wanted to have this conversation.

I could feel his emotions filling him up, but I couldn't place them. Surely, mine were spilling into him. "But it never came. You never came. And then, when Amelia surprised me with this trip and I met Adrian and he was so sweet and _available_, I finally came to the realization that no matter how much I want you, you could never _fully_ be mine. You have too many obligations, you're too…"

"Say it, Sookie. I am too _what_?"

I steeled my body and looked away as I whispered, "Inhuman."

His eyes lit up with hurt before they flashed with anger. Slowly, the mask melted off of his visage and he stared at me in earnest, lowering to his knees and scooting toward my face.

I was numb as I waited for his response. He lifted a pale hand to my cheek, cupping it gently and then stroking down to my wet collarbone.

He pursed his lips and looked as though he was carefully considering his next word choice. "You are right, Sookie. You are right about many, many things. You knew how precarious my position has been with the new regime. You know who-" he sneered, "_What_ I am." I tried to interrupt, but he brushed me off. "No. I am not a human. That is the reality. But you make me feel alive. You have really no idea what you've put me through these past few days…"

I looked quizzically at him, trying to figure out what he meant.

"Did you know I flew here? I slept in the _ground_," he said looking disdainful at the mere idea of bedding in the earth.

"Why?" I asked, unsure whether I really wanted to know or not.

He sighed, looking mournfully at the bathwater. "I would prefer to tell you this sitting in that tub with you, but it barely contains your lovely figure." His fangs lowered slowly and I saw a dash of pink as he stuck his tongue out a little bit, rubbing a fang with it absently. He was eyeing the nipple that now was completely visible, as the bubbles were all but dissolved.

"This conversation would be better served in the bedroom." He quickly grabbed a towel and had me out of the water and curled up on the bed in his chest faster than you could say, 'Holy Crow."

Sandwich long forgotten, he kissed my neck thoughtfully before he slowly began telling me how he ended up in South Beach, searching for me. He told me how he had felt what he thought was my pain the morning I disappeared. I reassured him that it was just a nightmare, but he looked troubled when I relayed the content to him. Then he told me how he thought our bond had closed, and the silence that had echoed within him when I left. He explained that when he finally located me, many miles away, it felt like 'the weight of a feather on a sword' and the turmoil he felt searching for me. When he learned where I'd gone, he decided maybe a vacation would be good for me, because although he hadn't spoken with me, he was still able to feel the heaviness of my emotions over the past three months. He decided to let me have fun; he would come to me when I returned though. He needed to see me.

The hand that had been caressing my shoulder stiffened and I craned my neck to gauge his expression. His face was paled and his jaw was set. "But when you met Adrian, and you brought him to your hotel that night, I could have killed both of you."

I sucked in a breath, furious, and flipped over to face him on the bed. "Where the hell do you get off, Eric Northman, telling me what I can and cannot do when you never _once_ made it clear to me in the last few months that you had any interest at all in being with me!" I glared at his darkening expression, "So, _what_? You were jealous? The only reason you came here was to stop me from having any pleasure in my poor excuse for a life?" Claudine's warnings and lectures raced through my head and I clenched my fists at my naivety; for even hoping that Eric could care for me the way I care for him. "So that is what the whole, burn Sookie thing from the inside thing was about. You couldn't stand to see me happy, could you? That's so fucking typical! God knows you've been out screwing anything on two legs!"

Immediately, Eric was over me, gripping me by my shoulders with a snarl on his lips. "It is not about the sex, Sookie," he growled. "It was never about the sex! You could have hours, days, of fucking, and I wouldn't care!" I gasped. "No, I wouldn't care! I have been alive for a very long time, and sex is just bodies and hormones and fulfilling a physiological need for closeness."

"That is such bullshit!"

"No, it's not. And you're right. I have taken care of my physiological needs these past few months as well."

"I know. I would expect nothing less," I muttered, pain and sadness filling me so completely I thought I might pass out.

"I haven't finished, Sookie."

"Whatever, Eric. I think I've heard enough for a century of your fucked-up beliefs. Sex is _more_ to me-"

"That is what I am trying to say." I was trembling as I looked back up at him. He loosened his grip on my shoulders and rocked back on his ankles. "Sookie, the first night you were with Adrian," he hesitated momentarily, pursing his lips. "The first night you were with Adrian, I was there, in the room with you."

"What the hell are you talking about?? You were spying on me? I thought you said you were going to leave me in peace!"

His expression heated and he said, "Not literally in the room with you. It was something I had never heard of before in the bonded." He leaned down over me, closer than close, and stray strands of his hair rested on mine. "It was as if your eyes were mine. I saw everything you saw, I felt everything you felt."

I gulped as I remembered the events of that night. Adrian draped in a napkin, me in a towel, him carrying me ass to the wall. My voice caught in my throat as I asked, "Did this happen on more than one occasion?"

I squinted, bracing myself for his answer. _Please say it was a one-time occurrence. Please say it was a one-time occurrence. _

His face hardened. _Shit_. "No. I saw you on the bed with him. On the patio," he raised a pointed eyebrow at me and forced a fake smile on his face, "And back on the bed again."

As awful as I felt, I had to ask. "But if it was just sex, and you don't care about sex, then why would you care?"

He glared at the wall above my head. "Because, Sookie, like you said, '_Sex is more to you._' And it is one thing if it is just a quick fuck with a blood-drenched fangbanger- but it's quite another if there are emotions involved. "

"So let me get this straight. I can fuck men that I don't care about as long as you don't have to see it or feel it, is that right?"

"No," he scratched his head.

"So I can just never get laid ever again for fear of your wrath?" I said sarcastically.

"No! When I saw the way he looked at you, and the way you felt about him, it made me realize…"

"What, Eric? What did it make you realize?"

"That sex with you is more than physiological. You wake me up in ways I've never felt. I don't want you to sleep with other men you care about anymore."

"Huh?"

"Or that you don't care about, either," he said grimacing. "I only want you to sleep with me."

I fought against the fluttering of hope that threatened to overpower my negativity, and I fought against the smile tugging at my lips. "But that hardly seems fair- you fucking fangbangers and other hoochie-mamas while I just wait for the sheriff to grace me with his penis."

He mock glared at me then grabbed me by the waist so we were both on our sides, my hips pressed firmly against his straining erection. He kissed me playfully, then said, "Well, I have been called many things, but most will agree that I am nothing if not fair." He slowly opened the towel that was wrapped around me, his strong hand caressing my breast as I sighed quietly, trying to stay focused.

"So what are you saying, Sheriff?" I asked before I nipped at his lip.

He pulled back, looking directly at me. "I am saying that if you will only have sex with me, then I will only have sex with you."

"What, like a _couple_ or something?" I smirked, and his eyes widened. I decided to push him just a little further. "Ugh, don't tell me you're going to make us wear matching Christmas sweaters this year, Eric… Because I _so_ don't want to be that couple_. _Now_, Mr. and Mrs. Northman_ fannypacks? That, I could handle."

"Ha, ha, ha, Stackhouse," he mouthed, clearly starting to worry about other things. "I think you might be surprised at the lengths I will go to, to ensure your happiness." Without warning, long agile fingers plunged deep inside of me then drew back slightly to glide over my g-spot.

"Jesus, Shepherd of Judea!" I hollered at the sneak attack.

He ran his teeth over the sensitive cartilage of my ear and whispered, "So, do we have a deal?" He slid his remaining fingers over my clit and asked, "Could you be satisfied with having me as your only lover?"

He rubbed the spot gently at first and then increased the pressure and speed. I struggled to focus my eyes and answer. "Yes," I moaned, "But on one condition." I somehow regained the use of my limbs, and lifted my hand, beckoning him even closer.

With a quizzical expression on his face and continuing to stroke me intently, Eric closed the last few inches between our faces. I angled his head and cupped his ear with my hand. "You have _got_ to stop using sex as a weapon," I mouthed as the tremors started to overtake my body.

I collapsed back on my side and I felt myself clamping and dripping around Eric's fingers. "Ohhhh," was all I could get out before his gifted fingers took me over the edge. Eric roared in laughter.

After about five minutes I could move again and I opened my eyes, ready to repay his kindness. Eric was holding me tightly with his face buried in my hair. I was already coming up with ways to launch a sneak orgasm on him.

"You should get dressed," Eric garbled against my head.

"You have got to be kidding!" I pouted. "Why?"

"We have somewhere we need to be, but don't worry- I'll give you plenty of time to even the score later," he leered as he smacked my ass and sauntered to the restroom.

"Dress up," he called, his voice muffled by the door.

"You want this?" Eric had reappeared in the doorway and was holding my half-eaten sandwich. My mouth watered as I nodded and he tossed it to me.

I ate messily and merrily as I rifled through my suitcase- because if you can't be messy when you're naked, when can you? Finding the simple, strapless white origami dress took me a minute as it had somehow migrated to the bottom of my suitcase. I didn't think too much about that as I zipped up the side and started searching for my shoes.

_Oh, I hope I didn't leave them at the other hotel_, I worried. I opened the inner pocket to grab some panties and remembered that I hadn't seen my cell phone in a few days. I turned it on to check my messages, and as it powered up I slithered into my panties and an alternate pair of black heels. I was rubbing lotion on my legs and trying to figure out what to do with my hair when the notification beeps began.

The first message was from Jason:

"_Hey sis, I'm landscaping. Gonna come take Gran's old gardening trowel and your lawnmower… mine broke."_

I snorted and deleted the message. Next was silent:

" _."_

Deleted that one. The next one was silent too:

" _."_

Delete. Then came Sam:

"_Sookie, it's me Sam. Calling to tell you I hope you're having a fun vacation, and not to worry because everything's covered here. Enjoy!"_

I smiled a little at his message then frowned, thinking about all the things I would have to tell him when I got home. I saved that little piece of happiness and moved on. A familiar, yet disdainful voice I had never heard on my voicemail startled me.

"_Sookie Stackhouse, this is Claude. I am looking for Claudine. She was supposed to be home tonight. We need her expertise here at the club. Call me back."_

_What?_ There were two more messages so I hurried to the next.

"_Sookie, Claude here. If you managed to convince Claudine to stay with you, you must have her notify me. She is not responding to our other means of communication, or to her cellular telephone. Niall and I are both growing uncomfortable with her absence."_

Oh my God, where is Claudine? Eric must have felt my unease, as he had appeared over my shoulder and grasped my waist questioningly. I raised a finger to him and held my breath as I played the last message.

"_Ok. Something is wrong, Sookie. I can't leave here due to the present, um, situation, so I put some of our kin on the trail. We can't track her."_ His voice was desperate and almost shrill. _"Please return my call, Sookie. I fear that… I fear that something has happened to her. Please tell me otherwise."_ Claude did not beg, and his use of the word _please_ scared the shit out of me.

I looked back at Eric, knowing that he had heard the whole thing, and he sat with an incredulous and worried look on his face.

"I saw her," he stated, and I stared blankly at him. "I saw her before she left, when I was searching for you."

"Where is she Eric? You didn't…?"

Eric rolled his eyes at me before quickly getting that focused look back in his eyes. "I am not a complete Neanderthal, lover. I have some amount of restraint."

I raised an eyebrow at him, remembering the time when he met Claudine at Merlotte's without his memories, and how uncertain his self-control had seemed.

"Some," he said, shrugging.

"So, you saw her?"

He looked almost chagrined as he continued. "Yes, and she uh, convinced me to let you have one more night with your _human_ before she left."

"Did she pop out?"

"To be honest, I was trying not to look at her- I was sitting halfway on the balcony, and one minute she was there, the next minute she was gone."

"That doesn't really help," I muttered.

"Well, my mind was on other things, if you will remember," he said, chiding me slightly.

I gulped, "Right, other things. Well, if she is not here, and she's not with Claude or Niall, then where could she be?"

I think somehow it clicked for both of us at that very instant.

I sucked in a breath at the realization. "She had business she wasn't satisfied with," I whispered, aghast at the very idea as Eric finished my thought, stone-faced.

"We need to get to Osiris, now."

* * *

_**A/N:**__ What did you think? I'd love to hear your opinions! If you click the green button and leave a review, the Viking may give you a stealth orgasm tonight! -SJ_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20- One Red Tear**

(Finding out Claudine has gone missing)

_"We need to get to Osiris, now."_

_***_

I clenched my eyes to the wind as Eric threw me on his back and we launched off the hotel balcony. His voice buzzed in front of me and I realized he was speaking. I did my best to focus on the words despite the speed of our flight.

His voice was strained, and I could feel his internal battle raging within. "Sookie, there are some things you must know about the Were and supe communities in Miami. The lines…. They are blurred. The availability of money, and traffic, and water weres has produced some strange alliances. Griffith is Sheriff of Area, well of Greater Dade County and he may seem like a pawn, but he is really playing the game like a king, or a queen as it were. He has never mainstreamed, and is a very dangerous enemy to have. We have to play this with finesse."

I tried to blow out a hair that was stuck in my mouth without using my hands, which were tightly grasping Eric's chest but was not successful. So, with a mouthful of hair, I asked, "What does he look like?"

"Skinny, tall, a redhead. Freckles."

So Opie was Griffith. If that wasn't the summation of my luck, I didn't know what was. I swallowed back a mouthful of bile and muttered, "Ah, um, I may have some bad news in the whole enemy department, Eric." I squinted my eyes to chance a look at his reaction. Not a good idea. We were going mighty fast.

"Tell me, Sookie," he growled.

I clamped my eyes shut again. "Amelia, Claudine, and I had a run-in with him and some of his friends that first night. They wanted Claudine. We made sure they didn't eat her. That's why I think they took her. I mean, they _really_ wanted her."

I felt the winds stilling against my face as we lowered stealthily onto the hard sidewalk, much to the amazement of the pedestrians who pointed and waved, some making Superman jokes.

"It's a bird, it's a plane…"

"Sookie." Eric shook me out of my observations and had my shoulders in his grip, staring intensely into my eyes. "This is important. I didn't realize Griffith's real end game until tonight. I should have known." He cursed and then re-asserted his focus. "Griffith doesn't want to_ eat_ Claudine. At least not entirely. What do you know about blood trafficking?"

I felt my eyes widen of their own volition and my breathing sped. "What, you mean like human trafficking?"

"Where fairy blood is concerned it's a lot like that. You don't hear about it a lot these days since the Fae population has dwindled, and they're so hard to catch. But I should have known when I came in the other night."

"Oh, my God. Claudine! I guess that explains the weird juju I couldn't put my finger on the other night. And why Claudine couldn't just pop out of the club when we were being attacked."

"If we are lucky, they will be doing their best to keep her alive. Though you can probably guess how difficult that would be for a group of vampires." He was ushering me toward the building that I hoped housed my friend, and definitely held my fears.

I could feel the anxiety creeping in, and even though I had always been one to keep my emotions under control, my heart was racing and lightheadedness was beginning to filter into the rest of my body. Eric must have felt my distress through the bond, because before I knew it, he had me gently pressed against the cold stone of a deserted alley right before the club's entrance. Tears pricked my eyes, and I struggled to even my breathing.

"You are having a panic attack, lover," he whispered lightly in my ear, his honey breath tickling the hairs on my neck. I felt him plucking the strings of our bond like a guitar; each vibration sending warmth and reassurance.

"Nothing can happen to her, Eric. You don't understand. I cannot lose her. If they hurt her… After all she has done for me…" The offending tears curved their own path over the apples of my cheeks, and I sniffed audibly.

"Sookie, I will do my best to end this peacefully. I need you to understand that this will not be easy for me, as it is not in my nature to abstain."

I peered up at him through salty lashes.

He sighed as the sight of me, lifting his sleeve to wipe my nose. "I will do my best, Sookie. We will find her."

I nodded and attempted to put myself to rights, wiping my eyes and rolling the hair tie off of my wrist and wrapping it around a ponytail at the base of my neck. "Ok, so what's the plan?" I asked after putting my game face back on.

"Blood," he stated simply, eyes ignited with purpose.

"Wait, what? Eric, you'll go nuts if you drink her blood. Damn it, I thought we were on the same page here!"

"No, Sookie. My blood. You must drink. Our bond is almost silent and just several sips will reignite that which is nearly severed. I need you to have extra strength in there. I'm not sure what we will be dealing with." He cupped my face with his enormous hand and pressed closer against me, firmly trapping me against the alley wall.

I shivered at his touch and the searing expression in his eyes. I felt no deception. No pretense. Only the desire to protect me from unknown threats.

"Shit, Eric," I muttered, still not convinced.

"Look at me! This is as muted as I will ever allow the bond to become between us. And you said it yourself: you wanted to know if you would still want me without the effect of the bond. So there you have it. I am yours. Bond or no bond. Haven't you seen it by now?" The desperation in his eyes was palpable. "How can you deny me?"

I reached up and ran my hand against the hard plane of his back, tucking my face into the nook of his arm. I whispered, knowing he would hear my muffled words, "You're right. It _is_ you. It will always be you. Con la sangre de la muerte o con la sangre de la vida, I don't want to be without you."

A plump drop of red tinged the corner of his eye, and then rolled down to perch on the dark circle below. I did the first thing I thought of without considering, and raised my index finger up to capture the precious liquid. His gaze widened as I inspected the tear and placed it carefully on my tongue. As it rolled down my throat, my body burst into beautiful flames. Bright and light and cold and ice melded my insides and I knew we were joined in a way we had never been. Sparks floated into my organs and I felt his joy. Carbonated solids reshaped my cells. Precipitation dried the wettest places of my soul. He was in me, and I could tell by the look in his eyes, that there was now a burned in image of myself living within him.

I struggled for words, but nothing of consequence came out. If anything was going to eventually find its way off of my tongue, it was silenced by his mouth on my own.

His fervent, frantic kisses sealed whatever it was that had just happened between the two of us.

"Mine," he managed finally.

"Mine," I muttered softly against his neck.

He kissed me again, softly, reverently.

When he looked up again, there was a slight hint of laughter echoing in his gaze. "I would offer you more blood for strength, but it appears that you are at maximum capacity."

**Adrian POV**

"Tell me again why you are wearing that ridiculous get-up?" I asked when I was finally able to pull my head up high enough to get a good look at Perry. Ethan was long gone back to Texas to try to pick up the pieces of Austin's broken life and his nearly as broken, never to be wife. I snorted at my internal rhyming and attempted to focus my drunken stupor on my house manager-come-only source of support in the world.

Tonight he was dressed as what can only be described as a cowboy pirate. Complete with Jack Sparrow hat and wig up top and boots with spurs down below, Perry was quite the sight to see. If he was trying to blend in, he was failing miserably. Yesterday was worse though. He had done a sort of gothic/preppie mash up with guyliner, black lips, and an Abercrombie crewneck sweater vest. The dude really needed to do his homework on being incognito.

Where had I been these past few years? How had I never seen Perry outside of our home?

"Mr. Fernandez-"

"It is Adrian now, Perry. I am not my father. And you better fucking believe I am _not_ my brother."

"You are still a Fernandez," he reprimanded me gently. "There is much to be proud of in that name."

I scoffed, shot-gunning what was left of my Three Kings concoction and attempted not to throw up in the process. That was one of the most horrid creations I had ever heard of, but I welcomed it- invited that shit in tonight, because tomorrow I was going down.

I raised my arm for another round for Perry and me, though I don't think he was actually drinking, and I took in the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed girl who raced off to fill my order. For all I knew, on the equinox that chick probably turned into a toaster. I sighed audibly and I could feel Perry's eyes on my head. How that guy stayed so calm and collected was beyond me.

I hadn't done such a hot job of that earlier. After my eventful meeting with that God-awful vampire, Lord Whatthefuckeverhisnameis, I had to hurry off to my appointment with the detectives working the case. I walked in confident that we had tied this case up in a perfect little Martha Stewart bow, and that we were going to get away with everything completely unscathed. And we would have. That is, until the divers.

Ugh. The divers.

Those divers had shown up at the request of some higher up and had gone sniffing where they shouldn't have. And they didn't find anything. The bodies were burned beyond all recognition; they couldn't even find a single tooth for dental records. The divers were leaving, until a rogue flashlight hit gleaming silver.

They found the cache of weapons. Fire has to get incredibly hot to destroy solid artillery. And in our haste to be rid of the bodies, we had forgotten all about that which lay in the deepest cargo holds of my father's yacht. Now there were many, many questions. Questions that orbited like moons around the boat in my possession and the circumstances that didn't quite line up.

The cocktail waitress returned with our drinks, and even she gave me a speculative look. The cuts and scratches surely didn't help my case.

I was crumbling. Everything was imploding. I felt like a lone soul handcuffed to a chair, waiting in a building set for demolition. And time was running out.

Ten,

Nine,

Eight…

It was then that I saw her. Striding through the door like a woman on fire. Determination and purpose blazed in her eyes.

Surely she was here for me.

I sat a little straighter, trying to fix myself for when she saw me here, needing her. Lost to all, save her.

Perry saw him before I did. I crumpled under the weight of my reality. Deteriorated further.

He flanked her from behind, whispered something in her ear. Left.

_No!_ My mind shouted, recoiling at their….. At their _everything_... _Together_.

That was supposed to be _me_ beside her. Whispering in her ear. Lighting her up from the inside.

I must have lurched out of my seat, because suddenly I felt Perry's hand clamp down on mine. "No!" I cried, knocking my glass to the ground in my haste to get to her. "Not him! Not him for her!"

With an authority I had never before heard in Perry's voice, he commanded, "You stay here. Do not move to her. Something…. Something is happening. I will see then I will be back. You will stay."

I had no choice. I had to obey him. I slammed my body back on the chair, pounding my fist on the table. I needed a drink. Where is my? Where is the…? I looked around for my glass. I found it spinning lazily on the floor. Its contents drifted longingly out onto the hard oak floor. I started shaking when I saw it, fury and loss and ache and sorrow and more than anything else _helplessness_ filled me to the hilt.

The glass wasn't even broken.

* * *

A/N: I have no words save one. Sorry.


End file.
